


My Fake Girlfriend

by MattheJ1



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Elsanna - Freeform, F/F, Incest, nicest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-17
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:26:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 25,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28080888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MattheJ1/pseuds/MattheJ1
Summary: When Anna is unsure about her sexuality, Elsa offers to help her figure things out with a 'pretend date'. And...well, they certainly do.
Relationships: Anna/Elsa (Disney)
Comments: 43
Kudos: 140





	1. All the wrong places

**Author's Note:**

> Note: This story was originally uploaded to fanfiction.net, under the account of the same name. See for yourself at https://www.fanfiction.net/u/3688540/

Raining. It was raining. But that was okay. Her face was already wet.

Anna stepped out of her car on shaky legs and began the slow walk towards her front door. She stumbled and tried to regain her balance, but her ridiculous high heels were no help, and she fell to her knees.

_Fuck it._

She pulled off the heels and threw them into the car. She grabbed onto the handle and slowly pulled herself to her feet, then slammed the door shut. Now her nice black socks were soaked. Like it mattered.

 _What's wrong with me?_ she asked herself again. _This was supposed to be the good one. He was nice, humble, respectful of me – everything the first one wasn’t. So why did this still happen?_

Her feet splashed through the puddles on the walkway. The rain tamped down her hair, and she felt it coming loose from the bun she had wrangled it into. She was sure her makeup was a mess, too.

_If He was here, He'd laugh and say I told you so._

She took a deep, shuddering breath, and looked at her house. Well, He wasn't here. Nobody was. Mom and Dad were overseas, her sister was at college, and she was here, at this big, empty house.

She shakily pulled out her keys, unlocked the door, and stepped inside.

 _I thought I turned the lights off,_ was her first thought. _And…the TV?..._

“Anna?”

Anna froze. No, it couldn't be…

A young woman rose from the couch and turned to face her. Her platinum-blonde braid whipped around as she turned to face her, and her bright blue eyes went wide.

In spite of everything, Anna smiled. “Elsa,” she croaked.

Elsa dashed toward her sister. She bumped her shin on the end table, but it didn't seem to slow her down. She closed the distance and threw her arms around her sister. Anna returned the embrace, squeezing just as hard. “Oh, Anna, it's so good to see you again,” she said.

“You too, sis,” Anna said.

For a moment, neither one said anything. Then Anna broke the hug. “So what are you doing here?” she asked. “You said you wouldn't be able to visit for another couple of weeks.”

“Ah, do I need a reason to visit my favorite baby sister?” Elsa said.

Anna raised an eyebrow. “Did Tiana kick you out again?”

“You know it,” Elsa said with a half smile. “So, what are you doing here? You said you'd be out tonight.”

Anna's smile started to fade. The memories of that night, which had been momentarily crowded out by surprise, now rushed back.

“Yeah, you said you'd be out on a…” Elsa trailed off. She looked Anna up and down, and her face fell. “Oh,” she said. She took Anna's hands in hers. “Poor baby.”

Anna sniffled. Tears began to pool in her eyes.

“What's his name?” Elsa asked, voice suddenly sharp.

“No, Elsa, don't-”

“Give me his name and his address,” Elsa said anger rising in her voice. “I'll kick his fucking teeth in.”

“It wasn’t his fault,” Anna said.

“I don't care. Another asshole has made my baby sister cry, so I'm gonna do to him what I should've done to-”

“I broke up with him!” Anna shouted.

Elsa blinked. “What?”

The shout had sapped what was left of Anna's strength. She lowered her head, and her knees buckled. “So I'm…I'm the asshole…”

Elsa rushed forward and caught her before she fell. She hugged her, and hugged her tight.

* * *

Anna lay on the couch in the fetal position. Elsa had wrapped her in every blanket she could find, but she was still shivering. She had gotten her out of her soaking clothes quickly and efficiently, and she'd run upstairs to grab Anna's silk pajamas as soon as Anna was stable enough to be left alone for those few seconds. It had taken a good ten minutes for her to even get to that point.

The older girl ran around the kitchen, trying to assemble the ingredients for hot chocolate as quickly as possible. She'd been loath to leave her sister’s side again, but eventually she had decided that mere proximity wouldn't be enough, and she’d rushed to prepare Anna's favorite drink. Even then, she'd frequently run back to the living room to squeeze her hand every chance she could.

It broke her heart to see her sister like this. Elsa had been in some bad breakups, too, but she’d taken them in stride. Anna, though, had always been more sensitive. To have not one, but two breakups so close together must be devastating.

Plus, none of Elsa's girlfriends had been half as bad as Anna's first boyfriend. Elsa still saw red every time she thought about that piece of shit. To think that anyone could be so…

She shook her head. That was for another time. Right now Anna needed compassion, not revenge.

After what seemed like an eternity, the drink reached an acceptable temperature. Elsa hurried to apply the finishing touches. “Almost ready!” she shouted. “I just need to add the secret ingredient!”

Anna poked her head over the couch. “Is it love?” she managed weakly.

Elsa grinned. “No, that's not a _secret_ ingredient at all,” she replied. She reached into the cupboard above the microwave and pulled out a clear bottle. “This is.”

“Elsa, you know I'm not old enough,” Anna said.

“Nonsense,” Elsa said, pouring the liquor in generously. “This is vodka. The drinking age in Russia is 18, so you're all good.” She stirred the drink vigorously, then topped it with a quick spray of whipped cream before handing it to her sister.

Anna managed a chuckle. “I don't think that's how it works, Elsa,” she said. Nevertheless, she took the cup and began to sip.

They were both silent for a while. Anna's hands stopped shaking as she drank more. Eventually, Elsa spoke up. “So, want to talk about it?”

Anna said nothing at first, simply taking another sip. She took a deep, long breath, then a second. Then she lifted her head. “So, this was our third date, right?” she said. “So when we first met up in the parking lot, he gave me a kiss.”

Elsa's eyes narrowed.

“Which was fine,” Anna said hurriedly. “He wasn't overstepping his boundaries or anything, I was okay with him doing it. But when he kissed me, I just felt…nothing.”

“Nothing at all?” Elsa asked.

Anna shook her head.

“And this was your first kiss with Kristoff?”

Anna fidgeted. “Well, sort of. He kissed me on the cheek, after the movie, on the last date, and that one was also pretty underwhelming.”

Elsa nodded her head. “That’s definitely not a good sign.”

“So then, while we were eating, we talked – a little. But I felt like we had already said everything there was to say to each other, you know?”

Elsa kept nodding, a picture beginning to form in her mind.

“Of course, back when I was dating H- the other guy, that didn't really happen. We both had a lot to talk about in the first few dates, and later on, even when I stopped talking, he'd still talk on and on.”

Anna's hands started to tremble again. Elsa hastily steered the conversation back on track. “So, that didn't happen with Kristoff?”

“No. We just talked less and less,” Anna said. “I started feeling guilty, like I was just wasting his time.” Her voice was getting shakier, more emotional now. “Eventually, he just asked me if anything was wrong. I told him it was nothing, but he insisted, and eventually I just told him…I just told him…”

Elsa took her hand. “You told him that you didn't feel attracted to him.”

Anna winced. “I was a bit gentler than that,” she said. She lowered her head shamefully. “But not much.”

She pulled her hand out of Elsa's and buried her head in her hands. Elsa scooted closer and draped her arm around Anna's shoulders. “How did he take it?” she asked softly.

“P-pretty well, I guess,” she said. “H-he just kind of sighed and said, 'That's okay, I…I knew you were out of my league, anyway.’”

Elsa winced. _Such a nice guy._

“I…I felt like the biggest piece of shit in the world,” Anna said.

Elsa drew her in for a hug. Anna wrapped her arms around her sister and squeezed her tight, as tears streaked down her face.

“It's okay,” the older woman said, stroking Anna's hair. “You don't have to feel bad about this. You didn't owe him anything, you aren't obligated to have feelings for him just because you went on a few dates with him.”

“But it's not just him!” Anna wailed. “On the drive home, I tried thinking of other guys I might want to date instead. I couldn't think of anyone! There was nobody else I even wanted to be with. But I don't want to be alone either!” She clutched her head. “So what the fuck is wrong with me? Am I just…broken forever now?”

“Of course not,” Elsa soothed, gripping Anna harder. “You just haven't found the right person yet. It doesn't mean anything’s wrong with you.”

“But-”

“Shh,” Elsa commanded. Anna obliged, and her protestations faded to whimpers.

_My poor baby sister. At least after my first breakup, Mom and Dad were here for me. But now they're 5,000 miles away._

Not that she could throw stones in that department. She only took the 30-minute bus ride back home once a month or so. Even after Anna's first breakup, she only visited a couple times afterwards, which now felt horribly inadequate. _And I've got a 7:30 class tomorrow. I won't even be here when she wakes up. Fuck._

For a time, there was silence except for Anna’s shuddering breaths. Elsa rewound their conversation, trying to think of something to say, something that would help. One line stuck out in her mind.

“You said you tried thinking of other guys you’d want to go out with,” she said, gingerly pulling away from her sister.

Anna sniffed. “Yeah,” she said.

“Just guys? No girls?”

“Of course…” Anna said, trailing off.

“Any particular reason for that?” Elsa asked.

“No, I…I guess not. Only guys have ever asked me out to begin with, so I guess I just went with that.” She had stopped crying now, and Elsa could almost heart the gears in her head turning. “Are you suggesting…”

“Anna Arendelle, perhaps you've been playing the wrong game this whole time,” Elsa said with a grin. “Or at least, playing for the wrong team.”

“Gee, I…wow.” Anna ran her hand through her hair. “Do you really think so? That I might actually be a…a lesbian?”

“You tell me,” Elsa answered. “It's your libido.”

Anna’s brow furrowed. “I…I…I don’t really know,” she confessed. “I’ve never thought about it that much. I only started thinking about dating last year.”

“Okay, let’s just think about it logically,” Elsa said patiently. “What kind of porn do you watch?”

Anna’s face turned bright red. “Jesus, Elsa!”

“Sorry,” Elsa said.

The irony was pretty funny. There was a time when she would have been far more uncomfortable than Anna at talking about this kind of thing. But a lot of her barriers had been obliterated in the last three years, thanks to Belle. And Esmerelda. And Jasmine. And Esmerelda again.

Anna buried her face in her blankets. “I don’t…really…watch much…porn,” she mumbled.

Elsa nodded understandingly. “I get it,” she said. “You’re pretty inexperienced with all of this.”

Anna nodded.

“So, the answer’s simple. You need experience. Try dating a couple girls, see if you like it.”

Anna shook her head. “Elsa, I don’t know any lesbians at school. I’m sure there are some, but I don’t know who. And even if I did, what am I supposed to say? ‘Hi, I’m Anna, and I think I might be gay, but I’m not sure, so do you mind if I date you for a bit, just to figure it out?’”

“It’s not as bad as that,” Elsa said. “Once you get some experience, you’ll figure out how it works.”

“But how do I get practice if I don’t have any practice to begin with?” she pointed out. “Besides, I’m not even that good at regular dating. Just ask Kristoff…” With that, her shoulders dropped again.

Elsa stroked her chin. She had a point – it wasn’t exactly easy to get into the same-sex dating scene, especially in the smallish town they lived in. She herself had been very lucky – Belle had asked her out, and she’d later admitted that taking that leap of faith had been terrifying. And Anna wasn’t exactly in a confident mood at the moment. So what to do?

The solution hit her like a brick. _She needs practice dating. And I need to spend more time with her. Two birds, one stone._

“Don’t worry, I’ll help you practice,” Elsa said.

Anna looked up. “Practice?”

“Yeah. We’ll have a pretend date!” she declared.

Anna’s eyes widened. “Now, when you say ‘pretend date…’”

“Tomorrow, after school. I don’t have any evening classes, so we can go on a dinner date, at…Vito’s, maybe? I’ll show you the ropes on dating another girl – what to say, what to do, how to figure out if she’s into you, the whole thing. What do you think?”

Anna thought for a moment. “I don’t know, Elsa. It seems kind of…weird. I mean, we’re sisters, for god’s sake! What if someone sees us?”

“It’ll be fine,” Elsa said. “It’s just a dinner date. It’s not like we’ll be making out or anything.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Anna said.

Elsa grinned. “Not on the first date, anyway. I’m not a slut.”

Anna chuckled nervously. Obviously, she’d gotten the joke, but the implications seemed to discomfort her.

“And, besides,” Elsa said, hurriedly changing the subject. “I’ve barely gone out in this town in three years. Nobody would recognize me, anyway.”

“That’s true,” Anna admitted.

Elsa placed her hands on Anna’s. “It’s up to you,” she said. “If you think it’d be too uncomfortable, we don’t have to do it. Your choice.”

Anna looked at their hands, then at Elsa. Within her eyes, Elsa saw nothing but trust and love.

“You know what?” Anna said. “Let’s do it.”

Elsa let go of a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. “All right, it’s a date!” she said. “I’ll see you at Vito’s tomorrow at 5:30.”

“Count on it!” Anna said. She looked at the clock. “I should really get to bed,” she said.

“Yeah, me too, if I want to catch the 6:00 bus tomorrow morning,” Elsa said.

Anna bounded up the stairs. “In that case, good night, fake girlfriend!” she said, going into her room.

“Don’t call me a fake girlfriend before the first fake date!” Elsa reprimanded. “I might think you’re too fake clingy!”

Anna laughed as she closed the door – her first genuine laugh of the night. It warmed Elsa’s heart to hear it.

_After all, that’s what I’m doing this for. To make her happy._


	2. Due for a good one

Elsa strolled into her dorm, tossing her overnight bag into the corner. “Hey, Tiana,” she said cheerfully.

Tiana, who was currently at her laptop finishing up some homework, waved. “Hey, Elsa,” she said.

The room was the same as she had left it – one half clean, one half messy. The only difference was that Tiana’s bed was now also unmade.

Tiana turned to her. “Hey, thanks for clearing out last night,” she said.

“No problem,” Elsa said. “How’s Naveen?”

“Oh, he’s good,” she answered, turning back to her computer. “How’s your sister?”

“She’s good,” Elsa said. “In fact, she’s going on a date tonight.”

“That’s nice. With who?”

Elsa grinned. “Me!”

Tiana didn’t even glance up. “All right. You do you.”

Elsa giggled. “Not literally, of course.” She explained the events of the previous night.

“Ah, I see,” she said. “That’s pretty nice of you.”

“Yeah, so that’s where I’ll be this evening,” Elsa finished.

Tiana raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you say you had a study group this evening?”

Elsa clapped a hand to her forehead. “Ah, fuck, that’s right. Fucking Diff eq.”

With exams coming up, Elsa had resolved to put more of an effort into studying than last semester – which would be no great feat itself. It was a decision she’d come to hate, not the least because of her Differential Equations class. It was easily the most frustrating class she’d ever been in, but her study group really helped.

She pinched the bridge of her nose. “I guess…I’ll just have to study on my own,” she said, mostly to herself.

Tiana turned to her, slinging an arm over the back of her chair. “You could probably reschedule your thing with Anna,” she said. “I’m sure she’ll understand.”

“Yeah, she’d understand,” Elsa said. “But it’d still be a big letdown, and to put that on top of last night…no. I can’t reschedule that.”

Tiana grinned. “You’re a good sister, you know that?”

Elsa cracked a smile. “Well, that’s good news, because I’m a damn lousy student.”

* * *

“So we’re meeting at Vito’s tonight!” finished Anna with a flourish.

“Oh, that’s a good restaurant,” Rapunzel said.

“Yeah,” agreed Eugene. “Not too pricey, either.”

Anna waited a few seconds, watching them across the table. Neither of them said anything. “Well, is that all you have to say?” she asked, a little irritably.

“Not at all,” Rapunzel said quickly. “It’s just kind of a lot to process, that’s all.”

“Yeah,” Eugene said, pausing to eat a spoonful of mashed potatoes. “One day you’re going out with Kris, the next day you’re going out with your sister?”

“Oh yeah,” Anna said. “I forgot you have first period with him. How’s he doing?”

Eugene swallowed. “All right,” he said. “He was a little down, but not as much as when the last chick dumped him.”

Anna felt a pang of guilt. “I wish things could’ve gone better,” she said.

“It’s okay,” Rapunzel said, placing her hand on top of Anna’s. “It wasn’t your fault. You’re still figuring things out, vis-à-vis, who you’re attracted to.”

Anna brightened. “Yeah. And now I have Elsa to help me with that!”

Rapunzel smiled, but weakly. Anna’s own smile faltered. “That’s not weird, is it?” she asked, suddenly grateful that their table was relatively empty.

“No, of course not,” Rapunzel said quickly. “It’s not weird at all.”

“It’s a little weird,” Eugene said.

Rapunzel glared at him.

“What?” he said. “Weird can be good.”

The brunette turned back to Anna. “Look, it’s great that you’re figuring this stuff out about yourself,” she said. “And if your sister can help you with that, all the better. But having your first date with a girl be with your sister, even if it’s a fake date…might cause some complications.”

“Like what?” Anna asked.

“Well, let’s say you are a lesbian, but you don’t want to date your sister. Obviously, that’s going to send some mixed signals to your brain,” she pointed out.

“Or,” Eugene chimed in, “what if you discover you’ve actually been madly in love with your sister this whole time? Boy, you’d be in trouble then!”

Rapunzel stomped on his foot. “You’re not helping,” she hissed.

Eugene raised his palms placatively. “I’m trying to lighten the mood, okay? You can get so dramatic sometimes.”

Anna chuckled. “It’s fine. I appreciate the concern, but I’ll be okay. Elsa texted me this morning, saying that if things get weird, we’ll stop the date immediately. I trust her to know when to stop.”

“Exactly,” Eugene said. “Elsa’s got a lot of experience dating; she’ll know what to do and what not to do.”

“Of course I trust your sister to know what’s best,” Rapunzel said. “All I’m saying, Anna, is that you’re a bit…sensitive. I just don’t want to see you get swept up in emotion again.”

“I won’t. I promise,” Anna said determinedly.

Eugene glanced to the side, then grimaced. “Speaking of…” he said.

Anna turned her head. Then her blood ran cold.

He had just left the line, carrying a tray of food. That smug, ass-licking smirk that He wore so well was on His face, making His unusually high cheekbones look even higher. And He was walking right at them.

“Shit,” breathed Rapunzel. “What is he doing here? I thought he had a different lunch period.”

“I don’t think he gives a shit,” Eugene said, scowl growing on his face.

Rapunzel grabbed Anna’s hand again and squeezed it. “Don’t worry,” she said. “We’re here for you.”

Anna said nothing. She ducked her head over her lunch tray, trying to look small.

He was right behind her now, walking slowly. Two of His goons, – she wouldn’t call them friends, as that implied mutual respect – followed behind him. He turned to look at them. “This seat taken?” He asked innocently.

Rapunzel and Eugene had already dashed around the table, sitting on either side of Anna. “Back off, asswipe,” Rapunzel said. “She doesn’t want to talk to you.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Really? And why can’t I sit next to my girlfriend?” he said.

Anna started shaking, and she gripped her fork and knife tightly. Both Eugene and Rapunzel were staring Him down now. He didn’t seem fazed.

“Heard you dumped Kristoff,” He continued. Anna said nothing. “Good girl. I figured you’d know a loser when you saw one. Now, are you ready to end this charade?”

“G-go away,” Anna managed.

“Hey, don’t be like that,” He cooed. “Why don’t we just talk things over?” He reached down, his grubby hand reaching for her hair.

Eugene stood up, putting himself between Him and Anna. “You heard the lady,” he snarled. “Get lost.”

The noise of the cafeteria died down. Everybody had turned to watch the two men glaring at each other.

“Oh yeah?” He said, drawing Himself up. “Why don’t _you_ get lost, Fitzherbert, before I make a mess out of your face?” His goons advanced behind him, grinning with lopsided smiles.

Eugene smirked. “Try it, if you think you can. It’ll be nothing compared to the one Majercak makes out of yours.”

His grin faltered. He and His goons looked at the near wall. The school’s security guard stood there with folded arms, watching them intently. His biceps seemed as thick as tree trunks, and his body was tense, as if poised to leap in at a moment’s notice.

“You’d better get moving,” Rapunzel added venomously. “I heard him complaining yesterday about how he never gets to use his taser.”

Majercak carried the weapon openly in a holster. Nobody had ever seen him draw it, and nobody wanted to.

He tried to maintain an intimidating façade, but His goons were not so clever, and they backed away. He sighed. “Fine, have it your way,” He said. He pointed at Anna. “This isn’t over between us,” He said.

Finally, He walked away. Majercak relaxed slightly, and the bustle of the cafeteria resumed.

“Ugh, can you believe that guy?” Rapunzel fumed. She put her hand on Eugene’s shoulder. “Good job, Flynn,” she said affectionately. “You did good.”

Eugene puffed up his chest, the mention of his nickname swelling his pride. “No need to thank me. It’s all in a day’s work for…” He glanced at Anna, and his swagger faded.

Anna was still staring down at her food. Her shaking hadn’t stopped, and her knuckles had turned white. Even though He had walked away, she could still feel His eyes on her.

Rapunzel placed her hand on her shoulder. “Oh, Anna, it’s okay, he’s-”

Anna jumped at the touch. She stood up, grabbing her tray. “See you guys in Biology,” she mumbled, then started walking toward the hallway out of the cafeteria.

Rapunzel dashed after her. “Anna, wait,” she said, grabbing onto her wrist.

Anna turned to look at her. “What?” she said, her voice thick.

Rapunzel sighed. “Go on that date with Elsa tonight,” she said. “Go there and have a good time.”

Anna blinked twice.

“You’re due for a good date,” Rapunzel continued. “Sooner, not later.”

Anna managed a weak smile. “Thanks, Punz,” she said, her voice cracking.

Then she walked away.


	3. Meeting Miss Schneider

Anna’s heart was pounding as she walked up to the restaurant.

 _Okay, stay calm,_ she told herself. _There is absolutely no reason to stress about this. It's just a fake date with your sister. No pressure at all._

Now that was a damned lie. There was every reason to stress. What if someone who knew that they were sisters showed up and saw them? What if Kristoff was there? Oh god, what if He-

Her phone buzzed, derailing her train of thought. Her reminder had gone off, meaning it was 5:30, on the dot. Now she was officially keeping Elsa waiting. She took a couple of deep, steadying breaths.

_It's okay, everything's going to be okay. If anyone recognizes us, they’ll just see two sisters having dinner. If Kristoff sees us, it’ll only help explain my behavior. And if He’s here, Elsa will skin Him alive. So everything’s fine._

She looked in the reflection of the windows and tried to school her plaits into a bun, but her hands were shaking too much. She felt a few hairs begin to slip out of the plaits, and gave up.

“You’ll have to take me as I am, sis,” she muttered to herself as she entered the restaurant.

Vito’s Pizza & Pasta was, as always, bustling but not crowded. When their parents were away, Elsa would often bring her here when she didn’t want to cook; thus, Anna had no trouble locating her at her favorite booth.

She was sitting there quietly, arms folded, but when she saw Anna, she smiled and gave a small wave. Anna waved back enthusiastically, before realizing how stupid she must look for doing so and dropped her arm.

Elsa was dressed regally, with a light green blouse and black pencil skirt. Anna couldn’t see her feet under the booth, but she was probably wearing heels as well. Anna looked down at her red t-shirt, jean shorts, and faded white sneakers. She felt her face redden.

She looked up again. Elsa was still sitting there, patiently. She shoved her self-doubt to the back of her mind and walked, as calmly as she could, to the booth.

“Hey,” Elsa said, smiling warmly at her. “You look good.”

“Thanks, you too,” Anna said as she sat down. “Sorry about my clothes, I just got out of-”

Elsa raised a finger. “First mistake,” she said. “Don’t call attention to your flaws. If your date didn’t notice, you’re just making yourself look worse. If she did notice, she’s probably polite enough not to mention it.”

Anna blinked. “What?”

Elsa lowered her finger, and giggled. “This is supposed to be a lesson for you, isn’t it? I figured that since I’m helping you figure things out already, I might as well give you some tips about dating in general.”

“Oh, okay,” Anna said. It was a good idea – lesbian or not, she could use some dating advice. “Thanks, sis.”

Elsa raised her finger again, this time with a smirk on her face. “Second mistake. Don’t call your date ‘sis’, it’ll just make things awkward.”

Anna burst out laughing. “Okay, then, mystery girl.”

“That’s more like it,” Elsa said.

The waitress arrived. “Welcome to Vito’s Pizza and Pasta. My name is Mary, and I’ll be your server today,” she said. “Can I get you started with something to drink?”

Elsa looked at Anna. “I think we’re ready to order,” Anna said. Elsa nodded. The two of them didn’t even need to look at their menus to decide.

“I’ll have the chicken carbonara, minus the peas, and a White Zinfandel to drink, with a glass of water on the side,” Elsa said, holding up her ID.

The server examined it closely, then said, “Certainly, madam. And what would you like?”

Anna looked at her. “I’ll have the spaghetti and meatballs,” she said. “And a Sprite.”

“All right,” Mary said, taking their menus away. “We’ll have those out to you in just a moment.”

“I’ve been looking forward to this,” Anna said as the server walked away. “I haven’t had their spaghetti in months."

Elsa quirked an eyebrow. “You don’t come here by yourself?”

“No,” Anna admitted, looking down. “Where’s the fun in that?”

Elsa felt a pang of guilt once again. “I see,” she said.

For a few seconds, neither one said anything. Eventually, Elsa broke the silence.

“So, uh, Anna…is that how you pronounce it? Ah-na?” she said, putting on a fake ‘date’ voice.

This managed to elicit a giggle from Anna. “Yes, that’s correct,” she said. “Good job, most people don’t get it on the first try.” She smiled wryly.

“Well, I’m glad. So, Anna. Tell me a little bit about yourself.” Elsa steepled her fingers and looked at her intently.

“Well, my…my name is Anna Arendelle,” she began, stumbling a little at first but quickly recovering. “I’m 18 years old, and I go to Pleasant Valley High School. I’ve been on the track and field team since sophomore year. I’ve lived in this area for basically my whole life.”

Elsa waited a few seconds after she had finished talking. “Is…that all?”

“Uh, what do you mean?” Anna asked, feeling like she’d done something wrong but not knowing what.

“Well, for instance, what’s your family like? Do you have any siblings?”

Anna chuckled. “Well, you know the answer to that.”

“Do I?” asked Elsa innocently. “We’ve just met, after all.”

“Right, of course,” Anna said. “Well, my parents are both away right now. They’re deployed overseas, but they’ll be back next month. I do have an older sister. Her name is Elsa, she goes to Kent State. It’s half an hour away from here, but she still comes by every now and then.”

Elsa smiled wryly. “What’s she like?”

“Oh, she’s the best,” Anna said. “She's really funny, she always knows what to say in every situation, she's always willing to lend a hand when I ask…”

Elsa started to blush. Sensing that things were getting awkward, Anna changed the subject. “So, uh, why don't you tell me a bit about yourself?”

“Yes, of course,” Elsa said, regaining her composure. “My name is Elsa Schneider.”

“Schneider?” Anna interrupted, confused.

Elsa quirked an eyebrow. “Yes, what about it?”

“Uh, nothing,” Anna said

_Fake girlfriend, fake name. I guess that makes sense._

“Is that, uh, German or something?” she continued, trying to bring the discussion back on track.

Elsa shrugged. “Probably.”

Anna snorted.

Elsa tried, and failed, to suppress a chuckle. “I just came up with it five minutes ago, okay?” she said.

“No, it’s good. I get it,” Anna assured her.

Elsa smiled. “Thanks,” she said, smiling brightly. Such a warm, genuine smile-

“Uh, but I interrupted you, Miss Schneider,” Anna said. “You were saying?”

“Yes, yes,” Elsa said, composing herself. “I'm 21, and I'm a junior at Kent State. I'm majoring in Architectural Engineering.”

“Really?” Anna asked. Elsa hadn't mentioned her major before.

“Yes, I'm hoping to be an architect.”

“I never knew that.”

“Well, it's not something you decide on right away,” Elsa explained. “I hadn't figured out exactly what I wanted to do until my second semester. Some people take longer.”

“That’s interesting,” Anna said, leaning forward. “I had no idea you could wait that long.”

“It's the most important decision of your life, after all,” Elsa said. “You want to know for sure that you won't regret it.”

It was then that Mary came back, holding a tray with two plates and three glasses.

“That was fast,” Anna remarked as the server distributed their food.

“They're always super fast here,” Elsa said.

“Oh, right,” Anna said. “I forgot.”

_Man, it really has been too long, hasn’t it?_

They both thanked the server, and she quietly departed. Anna twirled her for through the spaghetti and ate it. It was just as good as she remembered.

“So, Elsa-” she began.

Elsa held up her finger again. She didn't say anything, as she had also started eating, but Anna figured out the meaning behind it pretty quickly. She closed her mouth, chewed fully, swallowed, and then resumed.

“So, Elsa, what’s Kent State like?” Anna asked.

Elsa swallowed. “Oh, it’s great. It’s a great campus in a beautiful town, and there’s a lot of stuff to do on the weekends. Movie theaters, bars, bowling alleys-”

Anna raised her eyebrows. “You bowl?”

“Yeah,” Elsa said. “There’s an alley just east of campus, so I figured I’d give it a try. It’s pretty fun, and I met some nice people there.” She smiled. “That’s where I first met Esmerelda.”

“Oh yeah,” said Anna. “You told me about her. What's she like?”

Elsa sighed dreamily, then caught herself and abruptly stopped. She suddenly seemed uncomfortable. “She's nice,” she said, but she didn't elaborate. It seemed like she was regretting bringing it up in the first place.

Not understanding, but seeking to resolve the awkward situation, Anna spoke up. “You know, I used to be really good at bowling.”

“Yeah? What happened?” Elsa asked, taking a sip of water.

“Well, they took down the bumpers,” Anna said.

Elsa snorted, then coughed as water went down her windpipe. She continued coughing while laughing at the same time, making a noise that would've been comical if not for the pain that caused it. Anna stood to help, but Elsa held up her hand. She slapped herself on the back a couple times, and her coughs subsided.

Elsa took a deep breath, then looked at Anna. They were both silent for a moment, Elsa looking impassive and Anna looking worried. Then Elsa giggled. Anna giggled as well, and before long, they were both laughing heartily. The other patrons, who had turned to look at them during Elsa's coughing fit, returned to their meals.

“So, yeah, uh,” Elsa said after her laughter had subsided. “Bowling.”

“Right, bowling,” Anna agreed, stifling her last few giggles.

Elsa cleared her throat. “The main trick I learned is, you have to move your arm like this, in a sort of scooping movement…”

Anna nodded as Elsa demonstrated. It was quite impressive, how her sister could jump right back to a topic like that, even after such a crazy moment.

Anna didn’t have much to add to the conversation, so she simply ate while Elsa explained the finer techniques of bowling. It shouldn’t have been interesting, but she was just so enthusiastic, with her sweeping hand gestures and excited voice, Anna couldn’t help but be caught up in her enthusiasm as well.

Eventually, she reached the end of her description. “But enough about that. What have you been up to lately?”

_Well, there’s a sentence He never used._

“Oh, not much, really,” Anna said. “I’ve been watching a lot of TV, mostly. Baseball season’s started up again, so of course I’m into that.”

“Oh yeah, baseball!” Elsa said. “I haven’t really gotten a chance to catch up – what’s happened so far this season?”

“Hmm. Quite a bit, actually. Clemson had a big upset against Notre Dame. They were tied for the first 6 innings, but then Seth hit a sacrifice fly…”

Now it was Elsa’s turn to eat while Anna described the events of the first few games of the season. Their dad had gotten them into baseball at an early age, and he’d often let them stay up late just to watch the games, though Anna sometimes had trouble staying awake to the end. Even when he was deployed, the two of them would still follow most of the games. It had become something of a tradition, one of many that Anna had missed when her sister went off to college.

Elsa was as good of a listener as she was a speaker. She maintained eye contact well, and only interrupted with pertinent questions. When Anna described a particularly close game, Elsa’s eyes would grow wide with anticipation, and she would erupt into a smile or a disappointed sigh, depending on the outcome. It made Anna feel special, to be paid attention to so well.

“So, Miss Schneider,” Anna said once she had finished her recap, “What have you been doing in the evenings that prevents you from catching these games?”

Elsa straightened in her seat. “Well, I’m glad you asked…”

* * *

“And then,” Anna continued, “she veered back towards the road and took out the stop sign!”

Elsa put a hand to her mouth. “Jesus,” she said.

“The cops showed up shortly after that, and our bus driver decided it was safe to drive past. We all got a chance to look into her car, and there were, like, thirty cans of beer inside!”

“Wow,” Elsa said. “We've had some drunk drivers on campus, but nothing that crazy.”

“Good,” Anna said.

She leaned back in her chair, which inadvertently put the sun in her eyes. She raised her hand to block it.

_Hang on, how is the sun so low?_

She checked her watch. “Wow,” she said. “It's 8:00 already?”

“8:00?” Elsa repeated. She checked her phone and confirmed it. “Shit. I really should get back to the dorm – I was gonna study today.”

“Oh yeah, finals are coming up,” Anna said. She smiled sheepishly. “Sorry.”

Elsa chuckled melodiously. “For what? Being such a good date that I lose track of the time?” She spotted Mary and mimed writing on her hand. Mary nodded, then walked to the register.

Anna idly tapped her fork against her plate, which had been empty for some time. “Yeah,” she agreed. “This was a lot of fun. We need to do this again sometime.”

Elsa blinked. “Pardon?”

Anna made a mental backspace. “Not the date,” she said hastily, “the dinner. N-not even the dinner, actually, just…hanging out, like this.”

‘Oh, of course,” Elsa said. “I should’ve realized that's what you meant. That's on me.”

“No, I should've been more specific,” Anna said.

Elsa stroked her chin. “How about tomorrow?” she said. “I don't have any evening classes tomorrow. I could come over, we could watch the game, maybe a couple movies…”

“That's a great idea!” Anna exclaimed. Then a sly smile crept across her face. “But…staying the night after just one date? You’re quite bold, Miss Schneider.”

Elsa laughed. “It comes with experience,” she said.

Mary returned with the bill, and placed it on the table between the two of them. Anna reached for it, but Elsa slammed her hand down on top of Anna’s. “Not so fast, Miss Arendelle,” she said.

“W-what?”

“I asked you out, so I’m the one who’s paying,” Elsa said.

“O-okay,” Anna stammered. Her hand, enclosed in Elsa’s, didn’t move, as if it was held in place by some kind of electricity.

Elsa waited a few seconds. “Uh, that means paws off, Anna,”

Anna shook herself. “Right. Of course.” She withdrew her hand, and Elsa claimed the bill.

As Elsa filled out the bill, Anna regarded her hand curiously.

That was weird. She’s held my hand before – lots of times, in fact. So why did it feel so…tingly this time?

She put it out of her mind. It was, after all, the first time they’d touched that evening. No wonder it felt so magical.

Once everything was taken care of, the two stood up and exited the restaurant. On the sidewalk, they shared a warm hug.

“You were right,” Elsa said. “This was fun. It’s been way too long since we’ve done this.”

“Yeah,” Anna breathed. “I missed you.”

Their embrace was all too short, just a few seconds, but Anna still walked away with high spirits. Elsa gave the best hugs, the kind that stuck with you even after it was over.

“See you tomorrow,” Elsa said with a wave, before heading for the bus stop.

“See you!” Anna said, waving vigorously.

 _This was just what I needed_ , she thought as she got into her car. _Some quality time with my sister._

_Oh, and Elsa Schneider is quite nice, too._


	4. Just us

_The next day_

Elsa slouched on the bus seat, idly drumming her fingers on the windowsill. Outside, the landmarks of Willowton flew by.

She was becoming intimately familiar with every sign, street and stoplight along the way. Her phone was usually almost dead by this time of day, and Elsa, being the Einstein that she was, once again hadn't thought to bring anything to read. Not that a half an hour bus trip was unreasonably long, but after the third consecutive day, it was getting a little old.

 _Well, I'll have to get used to it,_ she resolved as their neighborhood rolled into view. _I'll be doing it a lot more when Mom and Dad get back._

It had only been six months since she had seen them last, but it felt like much longer. They'd been available to call pretty often, but there were just some things that they needed to be there for. Christmas alone had been difficult, especially for Anna. But they had made it work.

The bus gently rode over a speed bump. Elsa shook her head, then gathered up her bags. Two minutes after the bump, the bus pulled up at her stop. She thanked the bus driver, then set off for the house.

The sun was still high, but the talk oaks that lined the street on either side cast the sidewalk into darkness. She checked her phone.

_6:30, and it’s a school night tomorrow._

As she approached the house, she looked up the runtimes for all three Back to the Future movies.

_Hmm, that’d be cutting it close. I could make it through all three, but Anna probably won't. I'll see what she thinks, though._

Anna's car was in the driveway, and the lights were on, but Elsa still checked the mailbox as she walked past it. Unsurprisingly, it was full. She shifted through the letters idly. Junk, magazine, something for Anna, junk, coupons, catalog…

And one high priority letter from a military base. With familiar handwriting on the front.

Elsa stopped in her tracks, feet from the door. She wedged the remaining mail into her armpit, then tore open the letter hastily.

_Odd. Why would they send a letter if they’re about to be here in person?_

The first half of the letter was the same as usual. Hey girls, miss you bunches, we've been busy doing this, this and this, etc. She read through it all, then progressed to the second half.

Then she stopped reading. Her eyes widened, and her grip tightened on the letter

_Is this some kind of joke? Are they kidding?_

She read on. No, they were going into detail. They weren't kidding.

The letter started shaking, and small, fingernail-sized holes appeared at the edges she was holding.

_You couldn't even call us to explain this, you had to just put it in a letter. Cowards._

She looked up, at the door.

_Oh god, what am I going to tell her?_

She took a deep, shuddering breath. Folding up the letter, she put it under her arm with the other mail and fished out her keys. They jingled in her hands. She forced herself to take a few more steadying breaths until her hands stopped shaking.

_Be brave. One of us has to be calm._

She nodded to herself and opened the door.

Anna was lounging on the sofa, arm draped over the back. When she heard the door open, she turned around and smiled. “Hey there, sis,” she said.

Elsa offered a weak smile. “Hey,” she answered. Setting down her bags and mail, she pulled out the letter and held it in front of her. “There’s a letter here. From Mom and Dad.”

Anna sprang up. “Really?” she said, hurtling around the sofa. “But why would they send a letter if…” She looked at Elsa’s troubled expression, and her own face grew worried. “Oh no, did something happen to them?”

“No, they’re fine,” Elsa said quickly. “It’s just…you really need to read it for yourself.”

“Okay,” Anna said, confused.

She took the letter and unfolded it, and began to read it, mouthing the words as she read them. At first, she was smiling as she read their usual updates, but as she neared the bottom of the letter, her expression shifted. Her eyes widened, and the color drained from her face. Elsa wanted to reach out for her right then and there, but she waited. Finally, Anna lowered the letter, and her arms fell to her sides.

She looked at Elsa. “Three…three more months, h-huh?”

Elsa nodded. She held out her arms, beckoning Anna. Anna didn’t move.

“But, they-they’re getting a pay raise, so t-that’s nice,” she said, trying to smile.

“Anna…” Elsa trailed off, not sure how to continue.

“And, h-hey, they can always F-Facetime into my g-graduation…” Anna managed.

Elsa stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her little sister. Anna sank into her sister’s embrace, squeezing her tightly.

“Fuck,” Anna said in a thick voice. Elsa felt the tears rolling off Anna’s cheeks and landing on her shirt. “Fuck!” she gasped again.

Elsa stroked her sister’s hair. “It’s okay,” she said softly, “it’s okay. I’m here.”

Anna wailed, gripping her sister tightly, as if she might disappear if she let go.

 _Okay_ , Elsa thought. _This calls for some serious cuddling._

* * *

Anna sniffled. “Is it wrong for me to feel this way?” she asked, looking up at her sister. “Is it selfish?”

“No, not at all,” Elsa said, giving her another squeeze. “They’re the selfish ones.”

Anna winced. “Don’t say that,” she said.

“Sorry,” Elsa said.

On the TV in front of them, Marty was making his escape from the bullies. Not that Anna could see it well – half her face was under the blanket wrapped around the two of them. Anna’s head was resting on Elsa’s shoulder, and Elsa had one arm wrapped around her and her other hand entwined with Anna’s. It seemed to be helping, as Anna’s sniffles and shudders had slowly abated.

“Why did this happen?” Anna asked. “They used to only get deployed one at a time, and now they’re always both away at the same time.”

“I don’t know,” Elsa lied. “I’m sure they’re just as upset about it as we are.”

They had first announced that they were both going to be deployed together five years ago. Three months after Elsa had turned sixteen. Two months after she got her driver’s license.

Anna fell silent, turning her head towards the movie. Elsa’s head was also turned towards the screen, but her attention was still fixed on her sister. The volume was turned down low, so she could hear her sister’s breathing, feel her body rise and fall with each breath. She monitored Anna’s heart rate, careful not to adjust her grip a fraction, for fear of the reaction it might elicit.

“You’re good at this,” Anna mumbled.

Elsa turned to her. “Sorry?”

“This,” Anna said. “Hugging. Comforting.”

“I guess,” Elsa said sheepishly. “It’s just hugs. Everyone’s good at hugs.”

“He wasn’t,” Anna said. “Whenever we hugged, His grip was too tight. Like a vise…”

Elsa winced. The last thing she’d wanted was to remind her sister of him, especially when she’d just started to calm down. She changed the subject. “Esmerelda used to hug me a lot,” she said. “Guess I picked up some of it from her.”

Immediately, she regretted saying it. It was true, Esmerelda had comforted her a lot back when they were dating. The thing about her hugs, though, was that they often led to other things. She was now very aware that she was holding her sister in the same way that her girlfriend would hold her.

_Now it’s awkward. But I don’t want to let go of her, especially now. Not to mention, this is gonna make the next thing I say feel even weirder._

She felt her own heart rate rising. _What do I-_

“No, you were already good at it,” Anna said. “Even before you went to college.”

Elsa’s train of thought slowed to a halt. “Oh,” she said. “Thanks.”

Anna looked up at her, eyes filled with adoration. “Thank you, Elsa,” she said, voice trembling. “You’re always here for me when I need you.”

Elsa smiled, her heart rate elevated by the pure love she felt radiating from her sister. “My pleasure,” she said.

 _I’m not, though,_ the voice inside her head added. _I’m not here for you enough, and certainly not always._

Anna was silent then. She seemed to have turned her attention back to the movie. Elsa, though, was still deep in thought. Mainly, about how to say what she wanted to say next.

“Say, Anna,” she said.

Anna turned to her. “Yeah?”

“So, I was talking to Elsa Schneider earlier today,” she said.

Anna raised an eyebrow.

“She said she really enjoyed her date with you the other day,” Elsa continued. “And she’d love to do it again. Maybe…a movie date?”

Anna still seemed a little confused. Elsa could understand why.

_Just say you want to go see a movie with her, moron! It’s not weird! You’re the one who invited her to a fucking dinner date!_

Then Anna broke into a smile. “I’d like that,” she said. “I’d like that a lot. Let miss Schneider know I’d be happy to.”

Elsa smiled. “Great, I’ll pass it on. So, what would you like to see?”

Anna thought for a second. “Oh! How about _The Moon Has Two Faces_? I heard that’s coming out soon, and I’d really like to see it.”

Elsa frowned. “Hmm, haven’t heard of that one.” Gently pulling her hand away from Anna’s, she fished out her phone and typed the movie’s name into her search bar. When the results came up, she blanched. “A…romance movie?”

“Yeah, based on the book,” Anna said, oblivious to her sister’s discomfort. “I’ve read all the books in the series, and now the first one’s finally being adapted.”

“Oh,” said Elsa. “I see.”

The awkwardness she had been trying to tamp down now flared up again. A fake date was one thing, but going to see an R-rated romance movie with her sister? That’d just be all sorts of awkward.

She looked at the release date, and breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, we can’t do that one,” she said. “It doesn’t come out for two weeks.”

“Oh,” said Anna, a little disappointed. “Well, what opens this week?”

Elsa swiped downward, looking at the other upcoming new releases. “Oh,” she said recognizing one. “This one looks good,” she said, handing the phone to her sister.

Anna looked. “ _Khrush_?” she said. “A Bollywood movie?”

“Jasmine got me into these,” Elsa explained. “They’re like, action, drama, comedy, suspense – basically every genre of movie, rolled into one.”

Anna seemed intrigued. “Really,” she said.

“Unless you had something else you wanted to see,” Elsa said quickly.

Anna looked at the other movies on display. “Nope,” she said, handing the phone back. “That sounds good to me.”

“Great,” Elsa said. “This Friday at 7pm?”

“Sure thing. See you there.” Anna said. “Oops, uh, I mean, I’ll see Elsa Schneider there, I guess,” she amended.

Elsa chuckled. “I guess I made this a little overcomplicated,” she said apologetically.

Anna laughed. “It’s fine,” she said. She leaned into her sister’s shoulder. “Double the Elsas means double the hugs, right?”

Elsa laughed and squeezed Anna’s shoulder in response. Anna sighed happily.

_That’s not quite how it works. But if you want more hugs, I’ll give you all the hugs you need._


	5. Shhh

Anna wiped the sweat from her brow as she crossed the parking lot. The newly paved asphalt radiated heat as she walked towards the theater. It had cooled down a little from the absolute sauna that was the midday heat, but it was still crazy hot.

_Looks like Elsa made the right call on this one._

She had suggested to Elsa that they both ride to the theater in the same car, but Elsa had instead opted to take the bus, as there was a stop right outside the theater. Now Anna was sweating, while her sister would no doubt be cool as ice.

 _Oh well_ , Anna thought as she reached the door. _Just another lesson to learn for future dates._

Scanning through the crowd, Anna quickly picked out the platinum blonde, sitting at a table with a bucket of popcorn and two sodas, and made her way toward her. Elsa spotted her as she approached and gave a small wave. Anna forced her way through the crowd and, upon reaching her, greeted her with a hug.

Elsa hugged her back, but in a restrained manner. As someone on their second date would naturally do. Okay, another lesson.

Anna ended the hug and coughed awkwardly. “Miss Schneider,” she said.

Elsa chuckled. “Please, call me Elsa,” she said. She looked Anna up and down. “You look good,” she said.

“Thanks,” Anna said. “You look…” She took in Elsa's outfit – a green hoodie and jeans. “…cold?” she finished.

“Oh, I always overdress here,” Elsa explained. “They turn up the AC super high in the theaters, especially in the summer.”

“Oh. Good thinking,” Anna said, pulling on one of the straps of her tank top self-consciously.

_I knew that, too. It just didn't occur to me when I was getting ready. She always thinks this stuff through better than me._

“Well, don't worry,” Anna said. “I don't get cold easily.”

Elsa raised an eyebrow. “Oh, really?”

Anna smirked. “Yes, really, Elsa, and since we just started dating a couple days ago, I'm sure you don't have any memories that would tell you otherwise!”

Elsa laughed. “Okay, okay,” she said. She pulled a pair of tickets out of her pocket and handed one to her. “Shall we be off, then?”

“Sure thing,” Anna said. She grabbed the popcorn and her soda, and the two of them headed for the theater. “So what's this movie about, anyway?” she asked.

Elsa launched into a well-prepared explanation. “Well, it's about an Indian farmer who discovers his farm is right above an oil deposit, but then the Indian mob tries to muscle in on it, so he has to fight to defend his home while his sister is…”

Anna listened raptly, leaning into Elsa as she explained. The description seemed to veer through various genres, from action to suspense to romance – all genres Anna enjoyed. She took a sip of her soda, and was pleasantly surprised by the taste of cherry.

_She knows just what I like._

xxxxxxx

Explosions rang out across the screen, so powerful they seemed to shake the whole theater. Or maybe that was just her shaking.

Anna wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing her hands up and down her arms to coax some warmth back into them. On-screen, a man jumped out of a moving car, covered in flames. She envied him.

She hadn't remembered the theater being _this_ cold. Did they really need to turn up the AC this high, just because it was summer? Her body was still covered in sweat, which now further chilled her.

She looked around. A few other people were shivering, but nowhere near as much as her. Then again, nobody else was wearing the same miniskirt and tank top she was. And she'd thought she was being so clever, preparing for the hot weather like this.

She heard a soft rustling to her left. She turned, and saw Elsa shedding her hoodie. She pulled it over her head, bending forward to avoid blocking the view of the people behind her, and then handed it to Anna, holding it out in front of her.

Anna smiled. “Oh, Elsa,” she whispered. “You don't have to-”

“Shhh,” Elsa whispered, holding a finger to her lips. Lips that were pressed into a warm smile.

Anna nodded and donned the hoodie, feeling emotion welling up inside her. The hoodie was warm, doubly so for having just been on her sister, but it was nothing compared to the warmth that was now radiating from her.

_You've always got my back, sis. Always._

When mom and dad had started leaving together, Elsa had taken it upon herself to become Anna Caretaker In Chief. She'd gone everywhere with her, to movies, amusement parks – everywhere. Even when she went off to college, she insisted on coming back up to visit every month. At the time, that had seemed excessive to Anna. Now, however, being right by her side, Anna realized that it hadn’t been nearly enough.

She pulled the hoodie’s drawstrings, closing the hole around her face. It was incredibly high quality, and so soft and plush. It was like being hugged by Elsa, albeit softly. It even smelled like her. And…

She sniffed.

Perfume?

Confusion eked its way into her mind.

_Yeah, that's definitely perfume. Chanel #3, I think. Why would she wear perfume for just a simple trip to the movies?_

She didn't let it bother her too much. It was probably just another lesson. Elsa Schneider wears perfume on every date, and so should I.

With that mystery solved, she leaned back in her seat and allowed herself to once again focus on the movie, the popcorn, and the wonderful woman seated beside her.

xxxxxxx

_“We want our oil, Jahlil,” the mob boss said, leaning forward and splaying his hands on the table._

_Jahlil leaned back in his chair, confident but alert. “It is not yours,” he said. “This is my land. I bought it, I built this property, for fifteen years I have worked on it.”_

_The boss's composure faltered a notch. “Do not speak to me of hard work, boy,” he said. “I have spent my whole life building this family, the family which you have so callously killed.”_

Anna leaned forward in her chair, starting raptly at the screen. She could hear her heart beating away in her chest, so loudly that she thought the people around her might tell her to quiet it.

At lunch today, Anna had researched Bollywood movies to try and figure out what she was in store for. She'd seen dozens of conflicting reports – they were cheesy, tonally inconsistent, bombastic, overlong, and so much more. She could now add one more description to that list – they were compelling as hell. Elsa had, once again, made the perfect call for her. As if that was any surprise.

The boss reached into his pocket, and Anna clutched her armrests. Well, the right one, at least. There was something on top of the left armrest.

Elsa jumped, the sudden contact breaking her out of her trance. It seemed she, too, had been enraptured by the story. She turned to Anna, whose mouth opened, apology on the tip of her tongue.

She smiled. “Shhh,” she said, pressing a finger to her lips again. She turned her right hand over and clasped Anna's in hers.

Anna was electrified. She shivered as she felt the goosebumps pop up along her arm. And she had no idea why.

_We’re just holding hands. We’ve held hands before – including last night._

Yet, somehow, this time felt different. More…intense.

Kristoff had never held her hand like this before. At their movie, he had kept one hand in his lap and held his other along the back of her seat, inches away from touching her, and he had stayed like that for the entire movie. She had surmised that the intention was for him to move his arm closer to her with each dramatic moment that played out onscreen until he was fully embracing her, but he had never done so, and she didn’t really have a problem with that. He, on the other hand, had only taken her to one movie, and He hadn’t been able to keep His hands off of her. That was right about the time she had started to feel uncomfortable around him. But this felt…just right. Not too much contact, and not too little.

 _Hang on,_ a voice in her head said. _This is Elsa we’re talking about – your sister. And here you are, comparing her to your previous dates, as if this was a real date itself. I think you’re starting to get lost in the emotion of this, just like Punzie warned._

Meanwhile, on the screen, the boss had withdrawn his hand, revealing that he had only been grabbing a cigarette and a lighter. The whole audience released a collective held breath. Jahlil, however, hadn’t moved a muscle.

_“Such bravery, such confidence,” the boss said. “Lesser men would praise you for that. But your confidence comes from your inexperience, your childlike naivete. If you knew the real gravity of the situation, of how close you are to losing everything you hold dear, you would be shaking in your shoes.”_

As Jahlil replied with some snarky retort, the voice returned. _What about you, Anna? Do you understand your situation properly? Are you aware of what will happen to your relationship with your sister if you screw something up?_

And Anna replied, _Shhh_.


	6. Homework

**Chapter six**

**Homework**

Elsa turned to Anna. “Well?” she asked as the credits rolled across the screen. “What did you think?”

“That was awesome!” Anna exclaimed, raising her fists in the air triumphantly. “I loved the action, I loved the story, I loved the ending – it was all great!”

Elsa giggled, buoyed once again by her sister’s energy. “Well, I’m glad you had a good time.” She pulled out her phone and typed _Does Khrush have an after credits scene_ into her search engine.

“You said that all Bollywood movies are like that?” Anna asked.

Elsa smiled at her. “Not all of them. Some are even more batshit crazy.”

“Oh, then we’ve gotta do this again sometime!” she said.

“Of course,” Elsa said. Receiving an answer to her query in the negative, she closed her phone and stood up.

“Like, that part where the guy was doing a handstand on the motorcycle,” Anna gushed, following right behind her. “And then he grabbed the gun with his feet – how do you come up with stuff like that?”

Elsa shrugged. “I guess Indians just don’t give a shit about logic in their movies,” she said.

Anna continued to gush about the movie as they left the theater and walked through the lobby, though she lowered her voice to avoid spoiling it for the people they passed.

Outside, it was cool, as the three-hour movie had brought the sun to the horizon and bathed the parking lot in moonlight. She shivered slightly as a cool breeze swept through. Which reminded her…

“Uh, Anna, my hoodie,” she said.

Anna stopped her train of thought. “Huh? Oh, right. Sorry!” she said, grabbing at the hoodie’s neckline and tugging.

“Easy, don’t stretch it,” Elsa said.

Anna’s tugs slowed down, then stopped entirely. She turned to Elsa with the garment halfway off, face obscured and arms high in the air. “Uh…a little help?” she said in a muffled voice.

Elsa laughed. “Oh my god, are you serious?”

Anna wiggled, trying to free herself. “Don’t laugh,” she said.

Shaking her head, Elsa grabbed the hem and slowly lifted it. “What am I going to do with you?” she asked playfully.

Anna's head popped out the bottom of the shirt. “Hold me, feed me, never leave me?” she suggested.

Elsa laughed. “You got it,” she said, pulling the hoodie free.

Anna chuckled, then stopped. She shivered in the cold as Elsa reversed the hoodie. “So, there's the bus stop,” she said, gesturing to the glass structure. “I guess I'll see you later,” she said, a trace of sadness entering her voice.

Elsa nodded. She wished that she could say no, that she could just spend the weekend with her. But if the two hours she’d spent poring over her notes and textbooks had taught her anything – which she wouldn’t bet on – it was that she could not afford to miss another study group.

“Come on,” she said, putting her arm around Anna. “I’ll walk you to your car.”

“Okay!” Anna said, nestling into her sister’s arm.

They walked slowly across the parking lot, reveling in their closeness.

Elsa took a deep breath, taking in the familiar scent of Anna. “I’ve really missed this,” she said softly.

“Me too,” Anna said. “I haven’t had this much fun on a date since…well, for a very long time.”

“Me either,” Elsa said.

It took her a moment to realize the implications of what she had just said.

“I mean, I had fun, too,” she corrected.

Anna chuckled. “I knew what you meant.”

 _Good_ , thought Elsa. _Because I didn’t._

“So,” Elsa said, recovering, “do you feel like these dates are helping you figure things out about yourself any? Your sexuality?”

Anna thought about it. “I…think so,” she said. “Sorta. I'm having a lot more fun with you than with my other dates, but I don’t know if it's just being with you that makes the difference.”

Elsa nodded. “I thought that might be the case,” she said. “That wasn’t the main point of these dates, anyway.”

“Yeah,” Anna said. “How did you figure that out for yourself, anyway?”

Elsa shrugged. “Just by watching porn.”

Anna blushed, but motioned for her to go into detail.

“I was just watching vanilla, softcore stuff,” she continued. “I realized I was watching the girl more than the guy, so eventually I just started watching girls only. Then I met Belle, and, well, then it was off to the races.”

Anna, clearly fighting through her embarrassment, nodded.

“So, if you want my advice, I’d say you just have to…do your homework, so to speak. Figure out what you like and what you don't like. That make sense?”

Anna nodded. “I think so. Thanks for the advice.”

Elsa smiled. “Anything for you, sis.”

They had made it to Anna's car. Reluctantly, Anna detached herself from her sister and started fishing around for her keys.

“So, anyway,” Elsa said, “I’m busy all day tomorrow, but I’m free Sunday.”

Anna looked up at her. “That’s great! Do you want to do something?” She frowned. “Or…wait, is it weird to go on three dates in one week?”

Elsa laughed. “Not if you really like the person.”

“Well, I certainly do,” Anna said. “So what did you have in mind?”

“Well, I heard that Angel Island has a new roller coaster,” Elsa said. “I thought we could go there, just like old times!”

With that remark, Anna seized up for a second, then her shoulders drooped. “Oh yeah,” she said dejectedly. “Helios’s Journey. It’s alright.”

Elsa frowned. “What’s wrong? I thought you loved that place.”

“I just went there a couple months ago,” she said. “With…”

Elsa nodded in understanding. “With him?”

Anna took a deep breath. “Yeah. Him.”

Elsa’s heart twinged in sympathy. “Okay,” she said, giving Anna a reassuring smile. “We don’t have to go there.”

It was a damn shame. Back when they were little, Anna’s eyes used to light up at the mere mention of Angel Island. She had so many fond memories of going there with her sister, holding hands on all the scariest rides, scarfing down all the cotton candy they could stomach, coming home exhausted but proud. And now, all of that was eclipsed by one lousy boyfriend.

“Are you sure?” Anna said, looking into Elsa’s eyes. “You sounded excited to go.”

“Pfft, it’s fine,” Elsa said, waving a hand dismissively. “Your happiness is way more important to me than some crummy amusement park. I’ve been there a million times, anyway.”

Anna didn’t respond. Instead, she looked down, seemingly in deep thought.

After a while, she looked up. “You know what? No,” she said determinedly. “Let’s go there.”

Elsa blinked. “Are you sure?” she asked.

“Yes,” Anna said. “You’re right. Angel Island is ours. He doesn’t get to take that from us.”

Elsa swelled in pride from the confidence in her sister’s voice. Yet she also saw her hands shaking.

“Okay, really think about this, Anna,” she said carefully. “If you really want to go, I think that’d be good for you. But it might also be painful. Are you sure you want to subject yourself to that?”

Anna took another deep breath. She held out her hand, and Elsa took it. “No, I’m not sure,” she said. “But if I have to face them…I’d rather do it with you.”

Elsa saw the trust and love in Anna’s eyes, and her own eyes started to water. “Okay,” Elsa said. “Let’s do it.”

Anna nodded sharply. “Okay!” she said. “I’ll meet you there Sunday at…9?”

“Yeah, that sounds good,” Elsa said. “There should be a bus that takes me right there.”

She heard a low rumbling and glanced to the left. A green bus drove by on the highway, the same bus she had ridden in on. She remembered it taking roughly five minutes to get from there to the theater.

“Speaking of buses, I should probably get back to the stop,” she said. She turned back to Anna. “I’ll text you when I-”

Then Anna kissed her on the lips.

Elsa froze in place. Whatever she had just been thinking about was flushed away in an instant by the taste of strawberry chapstick.

After a half second that lasted two minutes, Anna stepped away, blushing heavily. “Uh…I’ll s-see you Sunday!” she said, waving as she got into her car.

Elsa waved back, dazed. “See you,” she said. She waited until Anna had pulled away, then slowly walked back towards the theater.

 _Okay_ , she thought to herself. _First question: what was that? Anna never kisses me, especially not on the lips. Was that a kiss for Elsa Schneider, or me?_

 _Second question: why did it affect me so strongly? That was a closed mouth kiss with my sister, so why am_ I _feeling butterflies?_

The parking lot offered no answers, only blackness and silence. But silence was good. She could use silence right now to help her think.

_I guess I’ve been getting a little too into this whole ‘fake date’ thing. It’s fun, and it lets me spend more time with Anna, but my brain must be stuck in ‘real date’ mode. It doesn’t help that I haven’t seen Esmerelda in a couple months._

Satisfied with her explanations, Elsa felt her heart rate return to normal. She was starting to feel foolish for panicking in the first place.

_And why shouldn't she kiss me? Sisters kiss all the time, it's not weird. And she clearly had to work up some courage to do it, so the least I could do is appreciate it._

She reached the stop just as the bus pulled into the parking lot. She hopped on and settled in for the ride back.

 _Maybe it was a_ little _weird_ , she admitted _. But Anna's put so much of her trust in me. I think I can trust her on this._

* * *

_Oh my god, Elsa, why did you have to turn your head so fast?_

Anna felt her heart pounding away at her eardrums as she drove home, hands locked on the steering wheel.

It's funny, how quickly a simple plan can derail. A quick peck on the cheek, then a nice hug, would've been the perfect conclusion to this excellent night. But nope, instead she had to take the last exit to Awkwardtown.

Still, it hadn't been unpleasant, she had to admit. The taste, the smell, the feel – she wouldn't mind doing it again.

With someone who wasn’t her sister, of course.

* * *

The house was…empty without Elsa. No emptier than it had been a week ago, of course, but it sort of felt like it was. Anna flipped on a few extra lights as she walked through the house in an effort to weaken the illusion.

It was going to be a long Saturday without Elsa. Maybe she’d go jogging again – she’d been meaning to for a while. Or maybe she’d send out a few more college applications. She’d already applied to all the schools she wanted to go to, but a few extra couldn’t hurt. Or she could always just lie on the sofa and watch Pawn Stars all day. She was sure the History channel would happily oblige.

She stepped into her room. Not tonight, though. Tonight, she had…homework.

She locked the door behind her, fully aware that she had absolutely no reason to. She powered up her laptop, its blue glow illuminating her room in a ghostly pallor.

She started to feel nervous again, and her hands began to shake as she opened up her browser in incognito mode, same as last time. Except this time, she wasn’t going to back out at the last second. For this time, she was on a mission from her sister.

_You just made it weird again. Stop making it weird._

Powering through her nervousness, she pulled up her search engine and typed in the words “Vanilla Pornography.” She switched the search results to videos, then began to look at the previews.

A few seconds later, she frantically closed the tab, blushing profusely.

 _Jesus Christ,_ that’s _vanilla?_

She stared at the now blank screen, trying to erase the images the previews had planted in her brain. She willed the images out of her head, then opened up her browser again for a second try. She couldn’t just quit after one single attempt.

What was that other word Elsa had used? Softcore? Yeah, that sounded about right.

Repeating the same steps as before, Anna typed in her new query. A very different series of videos appeared.

_All women. Of course. Well, I have to start somewhere._

She perused the videos until she found one that looked promising – a leggy blonde in jean shorts and a red tank top.

_Well, here goes nothing._

As the video started, she was surprised as a smooth jazz song began playing. The gentle saxophone helped ease some of the tension in her body as the video opened on the woman, leaning back in an armchair. She really was gorgeous, with big, pouty red lips and ivory skin. She smiled coquettishly at the camera, and Anna felt her heart flutter.

_Okay, question answered. You’re a lesbian. You can close the video now._

But she didn’t. She kept watching as the woman writhed, slowly and sensually, on the armchair. Anna trembled, and she felt a warmth between her legs.

The woman grabbed her tank top and pulled it over her head, her every movement graceful. She tossed the garment at the camera, giggling and crossing her arms over her chest, now concealed only by a lacy pink bra.

Anna felt the heat between her legs increase. No longer content to just watch, she spread her legs and reached a hand down beneath her waistband, her fingers brushing through the tuft of hair.

On her screen, the woman had turned her back to the camera, and she was unbuttoning and pulling down her jean shorts. Anna traced the outline of her sex, then plunged her fingers into herself.

The feeling was electrifying. Anna inhaled sharply, the sudden feeling of pleasure catching her off guard. Presently, it started to fade, so she kept moving her fingers, thrusting them back and forth.

The woman writhed over the armchair, her gyrating body contrasting with Anna’s stock-still figure. She seemed to be looking directly at Anna.

Anna curled her toes, barely registering the satisfying cracks they gave off. She moved her fingers faster, and her breathing accelerated as well.

The woman pulled one of her bra straps off of her shoulder, and smiled wickedly as she unhooked it. She shrugged it off, revealing her large, melon-like breasts and hard nipples. It was a flawless body.

 _So,_ Anna thought to herself, her mental voice fighting for her attention over the mounting pleasure, _do I just keep doing this, or is there some special trick I should –_

Her fingers drifted to the side, and touched a new place. Anna gasped.

The pleasure she had been feeling before felt like nothing compared to the euphoria that now blasted through her body. She moved her hand across the sensitive spot again, and another wave shot through her.

_Okay, there’s the answer._

Anna kept rubbing, faster and faster, the euphoria growing stronger and stronger. The woman danced around on the screen, but she could no longer hear the music. Her hand moved back and forth, back and forth, and she felt her fingers grow wet, and her heart was racing, and the pleasure only grew more and more intense, so much so that she thought she might explode, and the woman was looking at her again and

_FUCK_

Her back arched off of the chair, and she let out a moan. Then it was done.

Anna slumped back into the desk chair, breathing heavily. Her senses, which seemed to have stopped working in that moment of ecstasy, slowly returned to her.

The smooth jazz caught her attention again, and looking at the video, she realized that the woman had not even fully undressed yet. Raising her right hand and finding it sticky, she instead grabbed the mouse with her left hand and closed the browser.

The clamor of feelings and pleasure that had just clouded her head were now gone, leaving only a general feeling of relaxation. Presently, she noticed the damp spot that had appeared on her panties.

_I could use a shower._

She gently closed the laptop and exited her room, heading for the bathroom. As she walked, a thought occurred to her.

 _Holy crap,_ that’s _what that feels like?_

_How does anyone ever leave the house?_


	7. Let it all out

Anna took a deep breath.

_Okay, you can do this._

It was still early, but not by the park’s standards. Already, the parking lot was half full, the vast expanse of blacktop crammed with cars of all shapes and sizes. The peaks and loops of various roller coasters were just visible over the park's walls, hilltops on the horizon, and the cheers and screams of thousands of guests were barely audible, like a soft breeze.

And the memories were already flooding back to her. Both good and bad, of her family and of Him. Only, He was still just him back then, not Him. This was before all the bad things – well, most of them, anyway – before she had known what kind of-

She breathed in again.

_None of that matters now. Stop thinking about Him. It's just me and Elsa here today, and I'm going to have a good time, no matter what. Stop thinking about Him._

She began her trek across the parking lot, feeling the sun beat down on her. It wasn't too hot yet, but she knew it was going to be sweltering. Today, though, she felt well prepared for once. She had applied generous quantities of both deodorant and sunscreen before departing the house.

_“If you just used more sunscreen, maybe you wouldn't have so many freckles. Your skin would be flawless if not for-”_

Anna shook her head vigorously. _Goddammit, I said to stop thinking about Him!_

She forced herself to think of better times, of the many times she and her family had come there. Memories of Him still cast a shadow over them, more vivid than the others due to their recency. The fact that they were, for a time, happy memories did nothing to help.

_Well, that just means that this date will overshadow that one, she reasoned. I hope._

Gradually, the screams of distant riders were drowned out by the bustle of pedestrians. The front gate drew near, and to its left Anna saw the first of the many long lines they'd be a part of that day.

Spotting Elsa was easy enough. Rather than waiting in the line, she was lounging against the gate, looking casual in a green tank top – okay, picking up a pattern here – and khaki shorts. The knapsack on her back should’ve looked comical, but she wore it with confidence and pulled it off.

“Hey, Elsa!” she said, waving at her sister – not sister, Elsa Schneider, remember? – and trotting towards her. Elsa pushed off the wall and quickly closed the distance, opening her arms wide. Anna eagerly embraced her.

Then, as they hugged, Elsa kissed her. On the lips, once again.

 _See, Anna,_ Elsa thought, _I'm just as comfortable with it as you are._

And Anna thought, _ohmygodohmygodohmygod_

“Good to see you again, Anna,” Elsa said, her voice and face calm and composed as could be. “How's your weekend going?”

“Uh, good,” Anna said, schooling her features into what she hoped was an expression just as cool as her sister's - date's - was. “How’s yours?”

“Ugh, stressful,” Elsa said. “Studying, doing practice exams, banging my head against my textbooks – it’s a headache.”

“Oh, sorry to hear that,” Anna said.

Elsa smiled and shook her head. “It’s fine. The whole time, I was just thinking about this trip, about spending time with you. That’s what kept me going.”

Anna’s heart swelled with warmth. “Really?”

“Well, that, and a 32 ounce can of Monster,” she admitted. “But mostly that.”

She pulled out a pair of tickets from her knapsack. “Come on, let’s head in before the lines get too long.”

“You have those already?” Anna said in amazement. “You must’ve gotten here early.”

“Nah, I just ordered online and printed them out,” she explained. “I don’t know why more people don’t do that.”

“Well, not everyone’s as thoughtful as you,” Anna said, grabbing one.

Elsa put on an air of mock haughtiness. “Oh, praise me some more, Miss Arendelle,” she said in a fancy voice.

Anna chuckled. “No, I’m serious,” she said. “You’re one of the most thoughtful people I know.”

Elsa smiled warmly, a faint blush appearing at her cheeks.

The crowd of people steadily thickened as they approached the gate, a sea of thrill-seekers bottlenecked by five turnstiles.

“Geez, it’s gonna be hard to stick together here,” Anna said, having to shout over the crowd.

“Don’t worry,” Elsa called back.

Elsa held out her hand. Anna grasped it, and Elsa intertwined her fingers with hers.

“Just like we used to do!” Elsa declared as she weaved through the crowd, Anna in tow.

Anna nodded. Although it felt slightly different now…

xxxxxxx

“So, Helios’s Journey is way over there, in the back,” Anna said, pointing at the park map Elsa had grabbed. “The line’s probably already an hour long by now.”

Elsa nodded. “Which is why we aren’t going on it.”

“Huh?” Anna said, confused.

“At least not right away,” Elsa explained. “Most of the people here probably only came to try that ride, and they’re all making a beeline for it.” She gestured at the flow of people they had stepped out of to illustrate. “Which means all the other rides in the park should be almost empty for most of the morning.”

Anna looked at her. “You’re a gosh-darn genius, you know that?”

Elsa grinned. “Yes.”

She looked back down at the map. “Let’s see,” she said. “We’ve got the Ferris wheel, the Scream Queen, the Dueling Dragons, Thunderstruck-”

Anna pointed at the map. “Ooh, the teacups!” she said excitedly. “I haven’t been on those since…” She trailed off and looked at Elsa. “Never mind.”

Elsa frowned. “What’s wrong?”

Anna stared at her shoes. “Well, it’s kind of a kiddie ride, right?” she said. “I bet you wouldn’t be interested.”

Elsa smiled encouragingly. “Sure I would!” she said. “I loved those things too, you know!”

“Well, all right, then!” Anna said, grabbing Elsa’s hand. “Let’s do it!”

Elsa followed behind her, hastily folding up the map.

 _Good idea to do that one this early, too_ , Elsa thought. _Before we’ve had anything to eat._

* * *

_The teacups? Really?_

_Yeah, why not?_

_Come on, Anna, that ride’s for babies! We’re here for the thrill rides!_

_Oh…okay._

_Come on, let’s do the Scream Queen._

_S-sure, I like that one._

_Atta girl! Let's do it!_

Anna shook her head, as if she could physically dislodge the memory from her brain. Ahead of them, the teacups slowed to a stop, then disgorged their passengers, who stumbled semi-dazedly to the exit. A few of them looked ready to do some disgorging themselves.

The two of them hopped into the nearest cup, and Anna eagerly grabbed the wheel. Elsa, who moved at a more leisurely pace, giggled.

“You’re cute when you get excited, you know that?” she said. Anna stuck out her tongue, but internally she glowed at the compliment.

The cups began to spin again, and the music started up. It was tinny and low quality, but she didn’t care.

A new memory bubbled to the surface, an older one this time. Eight years back, the last time she was on this ride, it had been her, Elsa, and Mom. She and Elsa had spun the wheel as hard as they could, but Mom had held it tightly, keeping their rotations slow and controlled.

She looked at Elsa with a sly grin. Elsa nodded. Without a word, they both tugged at the wheel, spinning it clockwise.

The cup lurched, rapidly accelerating. The two kept turning, and the teacup spun faster and faster. Anna started sliding along the seat and had to adjust her posture to stop from sliding out altogether. Elsa’s braid whipped around gaily, and Anna’s hair flowed freely as well. Anna laughed at the sensation, enjoying the feeling of the wind on her face once again. She looked out the side of the teacup and saw only a blur, the park flying by in a whirlwind.

Soon, she wished she hadn’t. She felt her stomach lurch, and her head started to realize how fast they were spinning. She looked forward and down, at her hands, which were still turning the wheel. She let go, but the queasiness continued to build.

Anna looked up at Elsa. She began to open her mouth, then stopped.

Elsa’s eyes were closed and her arms were up in the air. She was smiling ear to ear, and it looked like she was laughing, too. She was so content and carefree, without a hint of her usual restraint.

Anna’s entreaty to slow down died in her throat. A little motion sickness wasn’t going to make her bring her sister down from this high. Instead, she threw her own arms up and enjoyed the ride, rising turmoil in her stomach be damned.

_Besides, it’s not like I’m gonna-_

* * *

Breathe deeply, that’s the key. Deep breaths of some nice, clean oxygen.

She was bent over, hands on her knees, just outside of the teacups. She felt a hand on her back, probably Elsa's.

“That’s it,” Elsa said soothingly. “Just take it slow. Inhale, exhale.”

Elsa flagged down a passing park employee. “Get me one of those, please,” she said, holding out a ten-dollar bill and pointing at something on a nearby stand. The man nodded, and she turned back to Anna.

Anna continued to stare at the pavement. “It's still moving,” she mumbled.

“What?”

“The ground's still moving,” she said, swaying. She wiped some sweat off her forehead. “Tell them to turn it off, before I...make another mess.”

“If you have to do it again, do it,” Elsa said. “Don’t try to hold it in, that just makes it worse.”

Anna glanced up at her. “I know how puke works, Elsa,” she said sardonically.

Elsa bristled, and Anna lowered her eyes again. “Sorry,” she said.

“It's okay,” Elsa said, continuing to stroke her sister's back. Her gentle touch soothed her immensely.

Anna wiped her forehead again. The early morning heat felt much more oppressive now.

“Did I get you at all?” she asked.

“No, actually,” Elsa answered. “I think you turned your head at the last moment.”

“Well, that's good, at least,” Anna said.

Suddenly, she felt a cool mist hit the back of her neck. She turned around, surprised, and saw Elsa holding a newly purchased misting fan.

“How’s that feel?” she asked.

“Wonderful,” Anna said gratefully. “Get my face next, please?”

Elsa obliged, then spritzed her arms and legs, then returned to the back of the neck. Anna sighed deeply, the cool water soothing and refreshing her.

“Oh, that feels so good,” Anna moaned. “You’re a lifesaver.”

Elsa blushed at the compliment. “Thanks,” she said.

“I mean it,” Anna said, standing herself up straight. She wobbled a little, so she put her hands on Elsa’s shoulders to steady herself. “You’re always looking out for me like this. Whenever I screw up, you’ve got my back.”

Now Elsa was really blushing. “Don't give me too much credit,” she said. “After all, it was kinda my fault to begin with.”

Anna blinked. “Your fault?” she said, puzzled.

“I stopped paying attention,” Elsa said. “I should've noticed you were getting queasy, but I let my guard down.”

Anna had mostly recovered now, and she squeezed Elsa’s shoulders. “Now hold on just a minute, Elsa Schneider,” she said. “I seem to recall that I was turning the wheel just as fast as you were. Plus, it was my idea to ride in the teacup, and it's my breakfast that's all over it right now.”

“Well, yeah, of course, but I could've-”

Anna looked into her eyes. “It's my fault, Elsa. I made the choice, and I suffered the consequences.”

Elsa wilted. “Well, I don't like to see you suffer,” she said quietly.

Anna struggled to think of a good response, so she went for a hug instead.

“I appreciate that,” she whispered. “A lot.”

“I’m glad,” Elsa whispered in return.

Once they pulled away, Anna chuckled. “I’d have gone for a kiss on the cheek, but…” She breathed on her hand and smelled it, then grimaced.

Elsa laughed. She reached into her knapsack and pulled out a bottle of water, small remnants of ice cubes floating in it.

“Drink this,” she said. “Then we can talk about kissing.”


	8. Overwriting

“So, where to next?” Anna asked, hopping to her feet and handing her sister the empty bottle.

“Next?” Elsa said, alarmed. “You’re ready to go already?”

“Yeah, of course,” Anna said. “I feel pretty great, actually.”

Through the crowd, she spotted an electric display showing wait times. “Looks like Thunderstruck only has a 20 minute wait time. You wanna do that one?”

“Well, sure, but…are you sure you’re good?” Elsa said worriedly.

“If I’m not good now, I definitely will be in 20 minutes,” Anna pointed out.

Somewhat mollified, Elsa nodded, and the two began to fight their way across the sea of people.

“Stay close,” Elsa said, holding out her hand. “We don’t want to get separated.”

Anna nodded. “Good idea,” she said. She reached towards Elsa’s hand.

_Let’s see, this is how you did it in the theater, right?_

She grasped Elsa’s hand, intertwining her fingers with Elsa’s. Elsa’s eyes widened, but she said nothing. Together, they weaved through the crowds, Anna leading but never tugging.

Anna’s heart was pounding. She felt like it shouldn’t be, but it was. There was just something more…intimate about holding hands like this. But was it sister intimate or date intimate?

She looked back at Elsa. She offered only a warm smile.

_Well, Elsa’s smiling, and my arm is tingling all over. So I must be doing something right._

* * *

The line advanced, and the boarding zone came into view.

Elsa could hardly believe it. Sure, it would probably be the shortest line they’d be in that day, but it really hadn’t felt like 20 minutes had passed at all. All she’d been doing was chatting with Anna, listening to how she was doing in her classes – very well, it turned out – and the line had just flown by. She would’ve checked her watch to confirm, but this would’ve meant spilling beer over herself.

Anna looked at the comically large beer cup, now half empty. Elsa waved it in her direction. “Sure you don’t want some?” she offered.

“No thanks,” Anna said. “Still 18, remember? Besides, I hate the taste of that stuff.”

Elsa laughed. “You don’t drink it for the taste, silly.”

The next group of passengers boarded the ride, and now the two of them were at the very front. The ride attendant looked at her disapprovingly. “No drinks on the-”

“Ah,” Elsa said, holding up her finger. She lifted the cup to her lips, inhaled, and started to drink. Anna watched, in awe, as the liquid quickly drained from the cup. Thirty seconds later, as the next set of cars rolled in, she lowered the now empty cup.

She grinned at Anna. “Never let anyone tell you that you don't learn anything useful in college,” she said, tossing the cup into the trash. The attendant rolled his eyes.

Elsa hopped into the front seat, and Anna got in right beside her. “Are you excited?” Elsa asked.

“Yep!” Anna said as she lowered the restraining bar. “This is my favorite ride here!”

“Really,” Elsa said. The car started to move, and a speaker built into the headrest started playing a guitar riff. “I actually don't remember this one.”

Anna gapped at her. “You don't?” she said incredulously.

“Not really. Mom only took us on it once, remember. Then she said it was too intense and never let us ride it again.”

Anna laughed. “Dad was a bit more…relaxed about it.”

The car, which had slowly started to ascend the first hill, stopped suddenly. Elsa shot a glance over at her sister, who grinned wickedly. “Hold on tight, sis,” she said.

At that instant, the car shot forward, coinciding with the screech of Brian Johnson's voice. Elsa's knuckles turned white, and her expression shifted from confused to terrified.

Anna let out a thrilled scream as the car sailed over the first hill, then headed down, gaining still more speed as it did. She threw her arms into the air, her earlier motion sickness a distant memory.

“Come on, Elsa!” she shouted. “Hands in the air!” But her cry was drowned out by the wind, the screams of other riders, and AC/DC. Laughing, Anna took Elsa's hand in hers and raised it high.

Elsa's already stimulated senses now went into overdrive. Her adrenaline surged, and the wind whipped away her surprised gasp. She looked at Anna, laughing gaily, and started to laugh herself. She raised her other arm, and allowed herself to be swept away in emotion.

* * *

The two sisters stumbled out of the ride and down the stairs, arm in arm.

“So, what did you think of it?” Anna asked.

Elsa struggled to find the words. “It was…it was…”

“Intense?” Anna offered.

“Insane!” Elsa declared, throwing her hands in the air.

Anna chuckled. “Now you see why it's my favorite,” she said.

“How did it do that…thing at the beginning, where it went fast before the first hill?” Elsa asked.

“They use something called a LIM, or Linear Induction Motor. See, it uses electromagnets to propel the cart by…” Suddenly aware that she had begun to ramble, she trailed off. “Sorry,” she said.

“No, no, go on,” Elsa said, tousling her hair playfully. “I love it when you nerd out like that.”

Anna chuckled. “I know, I know,” she said. Still, she didn't resume her explanation.

Elsa frowned. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Nothing,” Anna said. “I've just been trying to cut back on those lengthy stories lately. I've noticed some people tend to lose interest when I talk too long about things.”

Elsa’s expression darkened. “It’s because of him, isn't it?”

Anna looked down. “Partially,” she admitted.

Elsa gently draped her arms around Anna's shoulders. “What did he say?” she asked, trying to keep her voice soft and soothing while containing her own rising anger.

“Well, He didn't really _say_ anything,” Anna said. “He’d just kind of start to look at other things, His attention would wander, sometimes He'd check his phone…”

“Then he's an asshole,” Elsa said, squeezing Anna's shoulder. “And an idiot.”

“Yeah,” Anna said, not sounding enthusiastic about it.

But Elsa wasn’t done yet. “Let me tell you something,” she said. “When you start talking about something you know and care a lot about, you're goddamn adorable. Your enthusiasm is like…like a balloon. It lifts everyone else in the room higher. If he couldn't see that, then his head must be screwed on backwards.”

Anna giggled. She reached up and patted Elsa's had appreciatively. “Thanks, Elsa,” she said. “You’re always so nice to me, I…” She trailed off again, but this time, it was due to her own attention being diverted. “Hey, I think your braid got kinda messed up on that ride,” she said, feeling along the braid's length.

“Really?” Elsa ran her fingers through her hair, feeling the disheveled strands. “Ah, shit,” she said, letting go of Anna for a moment. “I should've seen this coming.” She took a closer look at Anna's head. “Yours are a little messed up, too. It's not too bad, though.”

While Anna inspected her plaits, Elsa unbraided her hair, untwisting the elaborate, now messy braid. Grabbing a hairband from her bag, she swept her hair behind her, gathered it all together, and bound it in a nice simple ponytail.

“There, that works,” she said, satisfied. “I've got another band if you want to do the same, Anna.” She turned. “…Anna?”

Anna had been staring as she had fixed her hair, with a semi-awed smile on her face. Upon Elsa's remark, she snapped out of it, then began to stammer.

“Oh, nothing, it's just, uh…you reminded me of those shampoo commercials, when you flipped your hair like that,” she explained.

Elsa chuckled. “Oh, you mean like this?” she said, running a hand across her ponytail and tossing it loosely, trying to emulate the cascade effect.

“Heh, yeah,” Anna said. “It's really…” She trailed off, trying to find the right words.

“Attractive?” teased Elsa. “Gorgeous? Stunning?”

Anna blushed. “Y-yeah,” she said. “Exactly.”

Elsa feel silent. She had meant it as a joke, but judging for her expression, those had been exactly the words Anna had been thinking of.

“Hey, uh,” Anna said, trying to change the subject. “Let's go see our photos.”

“Good idea,” Elsa said, falling in behind her.

 _It's no big deal at all,_ she told herself. Sh _e's complimented me on my looks hundreds of times in the past, and I've done the same to her. Totally normal, totally platonic._

 _Then why was_ she _acting like it was a big deal? Does that mean she felt different about saying it this time?_

As they approached the kiosk, she shrugged it off.

_No, it's probably nothing. I'm just letting my filthy mind ruin a perfectly innocent situation. Yet again._

With that settled, she turned her mind to the vastly more important task of locating their photos. Yes, that was much more pressing and suspenseful. What if their hair was messed up? That’d be a disaster!

Finally, she located it on the top row. Surprisingly, their hair looked fine. Anna's plaits we're pointing in odd directions, but it still looked fine. Elsa's face, on the other hand…

She looked up at her own face, a feeling of embarrassment swelling inside her.

 _Fuck, was I really_ that _surprised?_

A stifled laugh from her side told her that Anna had also seen the photo. She looked sideways at Anna, hoping her blush wasn't showing.

“We've gotta get that photo,” Anna said.

“We are not getting that photo,” Elsa deadpanned.

“Come on, Elsa, look at it! It's great!”

“No, Anna,” she said, beginning to walk away.

“We could put it on our Christmas cards this year. Imagine Aunt Sally seeing that!”

“Not even that funny, Anna.”

“Aw, don't be like that! It looks attractive. Gorgeous. Stunning, even!”

“I want another beer.”

* * *

“Are you sure you can handle that?” Anna asked.

Elsa raised the cup to her lips, squinting as the motion sent the afternoon sun directly into her eyes. “What do you mean?” she asked, lowering it again..

“Well, that’s kind of a lot of beer, isn’t it?”

Elsa scoffed. “Pfft, you kidding? I’ve only had four.”

“Well, yeah, but…” Anna held her hands apart, indicating the dimensions of the cups in question.

“It’s fine, Anna,” Elsa said. “Thanks for the concern, but I know my limits. Trust me, you figure this stuff out in college.”

“Okay,” Anna said. “Just be careful. You remember last year’s 4th of July party, right?”

Elsa raised an eyebrow. “No, what happened?”

Anna seemed surprised. “You don't remember at all?”

Elsa thought about it. “No, I guess not.”

“Well, Uncle Dan kept bringing you shots, you started getting loopy, Evan pulled out his phone and took a video, and you started talking about-” Anna cut herself off abruptly.

Elsa regarded her curiously. “What? What did I say?” she asked, amused.

“Uh, well…it's not important,” Anna said. “I’m not trying to embarrass you, just…give you a warning, y'know?”

“…Okay,” Elsa said. She let it pass, but she felt a burning curiosity rising inside her.

Hastily attempting to change the subject, Anna fished the map out of Elsa’s pack. “So, anyway, where do you want to go next?” she said, glancing it over. “We’ve done most of the big ones already. How about…the Firebolt?”

Elsa shook her head. “I can’t stand those wooden coasters. Makes my head rattle like a maraca.”

“Fair point,” Anna said. “There’s the arcade, but that’s all the way on the other side of the park. The closest one left to us is…”

Anna fell silent. She lowered the map, then looked up and saw it looming just over the trees. “The Ferris wheel,” she said.

Elsa noticed the shift in her tone, and turned to look at her. Anna’s eyes had widened, and she was gripping the map tighter.

“Anna?” she said. “What’s wrong?”

Anna didn’t answer, but continued to stare at the wheel.

“You know what, it doesn’t matter,” Elsa said. She put her hand on Anna’s shoulder. “Let’s not do the wheel this time.”

The contact broke Anna out of her trance. “Are you sure?” she said, trying to sound casual. “I…I thought you liked it.”

Elsa raised an eyebrow. “Well, clearly you don’t,” Elsa said.

“Hmm? What do you mean?” Anna said, in an even more hokey voice.

Elsa looked into her eyes. “Anna, tell me what’s wrong or don’t tell me. Just don’t lie to me about it.”

She was surprised – Anna almost never lied to her. And she’d been remarkably honest so far.

Anna took a deep breath. “He kissed me at the top of the wheel.”

* * *

_The cabin swayed in the breeze. Anna shivered. He wrapped his arm around her, and she happily snuggled up beside him._

_“This is nice, isn’t it?” she said._

_He looked at her, a wry smile on his face. “Yeah, it is. We can’t be on the fast-paced rides all the time. It’s nice to slow down once in a while.”_

_Their cabin neared the top of its arc, and Anna gazed over the park. Basked in the evening light, the park stretched out beneath them. Anna gaped at the view._

_“Beautiful, isn’t it?” he said beside her._

_She turned to look at him. “Yeah-”_

_The sentence caught in her throat. He was looking directly at her, and his face was mere inches away from hers._

_“The most beautiful thing I see is right in front of me,” he said in a low and sultry voice. He placed his hand on her chin and pulled her in close…_

* * *

Elsa winced. “I’m sorry,” she said, drawing Anna in for a hug. “I shouldn’t have pressed you about it.”

“It’s okay,” Anna sniffled. She clutched Elsa tight, and Elsa rubbed her back. “I should’ve told you before.”

Elsa didn’t answer, instead continuing to stroke her sister’s back. She had known this was bound to happen sometime today, and she was prepared to do whatever necessary to console her sister.

“I’ve b-been able to ignore everything else,” Anna said, voice wavering. “To forget about the past, and just have fun in the moment. But this…”

“I know, I know,” Elsa said comfortingly, now stroking her hair. “Some memories are just too strong, some feelings too intense.”

“I…I didn’t…hate it,” she said. She buried her face in Elsa’s chest and mumbled something else.

Elsa pulled her just a hair’s breadth away from her chest. “What was that?”

Anna looked up at her with watery eyes. “I liked it,” she croaked.

Elsa blinked.

“I wish I didn’t,” she continued. “But I enjoyed it. Even now, it’s still a…happy memory.”

Elsa sighed deeply. “It was your first kiss, wasn’t it?” she said.

Anna shook her head. “No. But it was the first kiss where we…where His mouth…He…”

Elsa nodded understandingly. She pulled Anna back to her chest, and Anna’s words faded into whimpers.

“It would be easier if they were all bad memories, wouldn’t it?” she said.

Anna nodded. “I just keep thinking about it,” she said. “Even when I’m doing something else, I’ll think back to how good it felt, and think maybe I should’ve…should’ve not…”

Once again, she fell silent, this time seemingly afraid of her own confession.

Elsa’s heart ached. Now, more than ever before, she wished she could get her hands on this piece of shit. Not only had he broken Anna’s heart, but he was still clinging onto a piece. No matter who she dated after this, he’d still haunt her, casting a shadow over even her happiest moments. If only she could overwrite these memories, erase them from Anna’s mind. But the only thing she could think of was…

The idea hit her suddenly, and the argument against it surfaced almost as quickly. But looking at Anna in her arms, she felt that the time was right for decisive action.

“Let’s ride it,” she said. “If you want to, of course.”

Anna looked at her, blinking away tears. “The wheel?” she said.

Elsa nodded. “I can’t erase that memory. But maybe we can make a better one.” She paused. “If you don’t want to do that, I understand 100%,” she added. “No pressure on you at all.”

Anna thought about it. Elsa swore she could see the internal debate going on just behind her eyes.

Then she nodded. “We’ve come this far,” she said. “Let’s do it.”

“Okay,” Elsa said.

Then the two of them walked towards the Ferris wheel, Elsa setting a brisk pace, lest she have time to second-guess herself.

* * *

Of course, it doesn’t work like that, does it?

The line was incredibly short, five minutes at most, but five minutes was still more than enough time for doubts to set in. By the time they were seated in a cabin, Elsa was already unsure of her plan. And then the damn thing still had to reach the top.

Two weeks ago, she wouldn’t have thought twice about this plan. It would’ve just been a simple favor, nothing more. And four beers ago, she wouldn’t have dared try it. But their past few…dates put the idea in a new light.

She saw that Anna was trembling. She put her hand over Anna’s to steady it. This only further deepened her own concerns, though.

All this time, she’d been shrugging off the idea that she and Anna had been doing anything but platonic roleplay. Elsa Schneider was just a stupid nickname she had thought up at the last second. And still, she was trying to further justify this as a mere extension of that persona. But that only went so far. There was a line, and the more Elsa thought about it, the surer she was that this would be crossing it.

Her first kiss with Belle had been romantic. In a darkened car, just as she dropped Elsa off at her dorm, she had punctuated the night perfectly. Elsa still remembered the heady smell of her perfume, and the heavenly taste of her lipstick. Anna, no doubt, had had a similarly euphoric moment, that was now tethered to a monster. She wanted to free her sister from that. But to replace that with an equally sensual moment with her own sister…

The cabin was halfway up the wheel. The expanse of the park, while not cast in orange, was still majestic. Neither sister looked at it.

 _It’s too late now_ , another voice in her head countered. _You’ve already gotten into the car with her. If you don’t follow through with this, you’ll have just dragged up her own trauma again for no reason. Besides, it’s not that much of a step beyond what you’ve already done. She kissed you on the lips, don’t forget that._

That logic was comforting, but not bulletproof. Clearly, an open-mouthed kiss was a big leap. It had been for her in the past, and it surely would be again. If it wasn’t going to be a big deal, there would be no reason to be doing it. Not to mention, she still hadn’t asked Anna about the results of her homework. That would cast this in an entirely different light, and to bring it up now would make it even more obvious.

The most shocking realization, though, was that she was starting to actually want the kiss – not just want it, desire it. She was picturing Anna’s luscious red lips, pulling her closer with an arm around her slim waist-

 _Knock it off! That’s your_ sister _you’re drooling over. You’re doing this for her, pervert, not yourself._

_I thought I wasn’t going to do this at all?_

_Aargh!_

The cabin was almost at its peak, and Elsa’s confidence was gone. She couldn’t do this. It had been a bad idea, and she should’ve realized it from the start. She had no choice but to apologize to Anna, and hope that her dumbass move wouldn’t ruin their date-their trip completely.

She turned to Anna and opened her mouth. She left it hanging.

Anna was looking right at her with half-lidded eyes. She had scooted closer to her on the seat, and was leaning into her. She didn’t look sad, or traumatized. She looked…anticipatory.

“I think I understand what you meant,” she said quietly. “About making a better memory.” Her body was trembling, but her voice was steady.

Elsa swallowed. “Yeah,” she said. “It was…a spur of the moment idea…kinda stupid…”

Anna placed her other hand on the two that were already intertwined. “Not at all,” she said. “I want to try it. See if it helps any.”

Elsa desperately tried to steady her voice. “R-Really?”

Anna managed a grin. “Miss Schneider,” she said, “it would be my genuine pleasure.”

_Well, fuck, there’s really no turning back now, is there?_

Elsa turned her body so that it was fully facing Anna’s. With her free hand, she stroked the side of Anna’s face. Anna shivered, but didn’t flinch. She saw a longing in Anna’s eyes, which mirrored her own.

“Do you want me to le-” Elsa began. Anna moved in.

Elsa jolted as their lips connected. Seeing as Elsa’s mouth was already open, Anna wasted no time in opening hers. Anna’s tongue darted forward, then hesitated.

Elsa, now fully committed, sent her own tongue forward. The two touched, and goosebumps pricked up across Elsa’s arms. Elsa’s eyes closed as the taste of her sister washed over her.

A moan escaped from Anna’s mouth, muffled. Instinctively, Elsa advanced forward in response, her tongue dancing around Anna’s mouth. Anna was breathing heavily through her nose, and common sense returned to Elsa just long enough to pull back for a second, allowing both of them a breath of air before coming back together.

Anna was clumsy, but more experienced than Elsa had expected, and now her tongue surged into Elsa’s mouth. Elsa countered, leaning forward and sliding her tongue across Anna’s as her mind frantically tried to regain control.

_This has to stop soon. Or else it might never stop._

After a brief eternity, Elsa placed her hand on top of Anna’s and tapped twice. Anna understood the signal, and the two broke away. They both slumped back in their seats, physically drained.

After a few seconds of heavy breathing, Elsa turned to Anna. “How…was that?” she asked apprehensively.

Anna inhaled deeply, then grinned. “Great,” she said. “Really great!”

Elsa breathed a sigh of relief. “Good,” she said. _I didn’t screw everything up, after all._

Anna leaned forward, still grinning. “Yeah, you’re way better at it than he was!” she said brightly.

Elsa wearily smiled back, amazed at her sister’s nonchalance. “It just comes with experience,” she said, surprising herself with her own nonchalance.

Anna giggled. “Well, I can’t wait to get some!” she remarked.

Elsa blinked. “Uh…” she said uncertainly.

“With other girls, of course!” Anna added hastily. “I bet it’ll be a lot easier now!”

“Right, right,” said Elsa, reassured. She smiled lovingly at her sister – her _sister_ , her brain emphasized. “You’re gonna break a lot of hearts, that’s for sure.”

Anna looked worried. “Oh, I hope not,” she said.

Elsa chuckled. “It’s just an expression. I’m sure every girl in your school is gonna want you once you get back there. They’ll just smell the pheromones oozing off you!”

Anna laughed. “Dare to dream, Elsa. Dare to dream.”

Elsa placed her hands behind her head, feeling a deep sense of contentment. That one voice inside her head was screaming in disapproval, but she ignored it. Right now, she was totally convinced that she had done the right thing. Anna was happy, and that meant that she was happy.

They stepped off the Ferris wheel a minute later, but Anna’s feet never touched the ground.


	9. And a day

**Chapter nine**

**And a day**

The sun was turning red. So was Elsa.

“I thought you said you put on sunscreen today?” Anna said, puzzled.

“I did,” Elsa said. “But I was going to apply another coat at noon, and I forgot.”

She touched her arms and face gingerly, testing out the reddest parts of her and wincing slightly at her own touch. She noticed the piteous look Anna was giving her. “Don’t worry,” she said. “I came prepared for this, too.”

She fished around in her bag and pulled out a small bottle of aloe vera. “I've got a bigger one at home, but this’ll do for now.” She carefully inspected Anna's skin. “Are you burnt at all?”

Anna shook her head. “I probably have a few new freckles, but no, not burnt anywhere.”

“Good, I like your freckles,” she said nonchalantly. Anna beamed.

Elsa popped the cap and gently applied the aloe to her face and arms. She turned away from Anna as she applied it around the top of her tank top.

_Oh, being modest all of a sudden? After what you pulled in the Ferris wheel?_

Not for the first time that day, Elsa told her inner voice to shut the fuck up. She reached over her shoulder, coating the back of her neck, but struggled to reach between her shoulder blades. She sheepishly turned to Anna. “Hey, could you do me a little favor, Anna?” she asked.

“Huh? Oh, of course,” Anna said. Plucking the bottle from her sister's hand, she poured a generous dollop onto her hand and smeared it on Elsa's back. Elsa stifled a gasp from the contact, but Anna must've felt her body shift. If she did, though, she didn't mention it as she spread the aloe.

“Wow, Elsa, your shoulders are so tense,” Anna remarked.

“Are they?” Elsa asked. She felt pretty calm at the moment, the whole 'I just kissed my sister’ thing notwithstanding.

“Yeah, like, super tense,” she said. “Are you stressed out over something right now?”

Elsa scratched her head. “Exams, I guess. But who doesn't stress about those?”

Anna shrugged, saying nothing. But Elsa soon realized the answer.

_Anna doesn't stress about exams. Because she actually studies properly for them, prepares well in advance, and probably doesn't spend her weekends browsing the internet and wondering what Scarlett Johansson would be like in-_

Her self-dressing down was interrupted by a sudden, unexpected stimulus. Anna had run her fingers under the straps of her top.

The analytical part of Elsa’s brain told her that, of course she did. She was making sure to get an even coating. They did it all the time back in the day, when they applied sunscreen to each other – it wasn’t even unusual. But that part of her brain wasn’t running the show right now.

Her breathing quickened, and her heart followed apace. The feeling of Anna’s gentle caress on her back sent her mind back to a place she had been trying to avoid ever since the wheel. Her eyes darted around, trying to find something that might distract her.

Anna lifted her hands. “Okay, Elsa, how does that fe-”

Elsa pointed. “Look, a fortune telling booth!” she said.

Anna blinked. “Oh, uh, yeah,” she said, puzzled by the sudden shift.

“You wanna, uh, get your fortune told?” she asked, fully aware of how awkward the statement was.

Anna took it in stride. “Sure,” she said. “I would love to.”

She trotted off towards the booth, with Elsa right behind.

_Smooth move, miss Schneider. I'm sure she doesn't suspect a thing._

The booth was a tiny little thing, a simple box against a wall. It was painted purple and covered in stars, and the words _Madame Zeroni's Fortune Booth_ were scrawled in ornate Gothic lettering across the top. Madame Zeroni was a puppet of a dark-skinned wizened old woman in gypsy attire – wonder what Esme would think of the stereotypes on display here – and her voice emanated from a tinny speaker as soon as they drew near.

_“To receive your fortune, simply enter my domain and press the button below, my children. You may like it, you may not, but you cannot avoid your own destiny.”_

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Anna said, squeezing into the booth. Elsa followed into the cramped space, forcibly squeezed against Anna. She placed a quarter into the slot and pressed the button. A short clip of 'mystical' music played, before being cut off abruptly as a small piece of paper was printed out.

 _“Your fortune has been dispensed,”_ Madame Zeroni said in a grave intonation. _“Now, depart from this place, and meet it!”_

Elsa and Anna both jumped at the sudden harshness in her declaration, then laughed at themselves for doing so. They squeezed out of the booth again, Anna grabbing the paper.

“I’ve seen that thing every time we come here,” Elsa said. “Never been inside it.”

“Well, was it everything you hoped for?” Anna asked, grinning.

“Well, show me our destiny, and I'll tell you,” Elsa said.

Anna slung an arm around her. “You got it, chief.” She unfolded the paper, and they both squinted at the small writing within.

_True love is but an arm's length away._

Elsa blinked, rereading the paper to make sure she’d read it correctly. She looked at Anna. “That’s…interesting.”

Anna snorted. “Yeah. And wrong.”

“Huh?”

“Well, just look at us,” Anna said, gesturing between them. “We’re less than an arm’s length away, right?”

“I…guess so,” Elsa said, uncertain where Anna was going with this.

“And we were even closer in the booth. So she got it wrong!” Anna was speaking loudly, as if increased volume would increase her confidence as well. It seemed very…unusual.

However, having just escaped from her own awkward situation, Elsa felt no desire to interrogate Anna about this one. “Guess so,” she said. “Hey, do you wanna go get some cotton candy next?”

“Yes, that sounds great,” Anna said, gratefully seizing on the lifeline. She took Elsa's hand, which Elsa had thankfully gotten accustomed to by now, and they walked towards the concession stand together.

Still, Elsa couldn't quash her curiosity. Why would that fortune have elicited such an odd response from her?

* * *

_“Come on, babe, let's get our fortune told!”_

_“Okay!” Anna said, trotting towards the booth with her hand in his._

_He had to bend over to fit in it. Once inside, the two listened patiently to the spiel, then deposited the money._

_“So, what do you think it’s going to say?” he asked her._

_“Oh, probably something generic, like ‘You were made for each other’ or ‘Lucky numbers 10, 14, 27’.”_

_He barked out a laugh. “Oh, don’t be so cynical, babe!” he said, snatching the paper from the slot. “Though that first one doesn’t sound so bad.”_

_The two exited the booth, and he unfolded the paper._

_His brow furrowed. “The fuck is this?” he said._

_Anna took a look at the paper. It took a moment to read the scrawling text, but she figured it out._

To hold is not to have.

_“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” he said, looking at the booth accusatorily._

_Anna tried to make light of the situation. “Ah, it’s nothing. Some employee probably stuffed a bunch of rude ones in there as a prank.” She cupped a hand to her mouth. “Hear that? You’re full of baloney, Madame Zeroni!”_

_His scowl didn’t abate. “Yeah,” he said, not looking at her. He wheeled around and took her hand. “Come on, Anna, let’s go on the tilt-a-whirl next.”_

_“Okay,” Anna said, hurrying after him. It was still bothering him, though. She could tell, based on how hard he was gripping her hand._

* * *

Anna licked the remnants of cotton candy on her cone, like a cat licking its fur.

Elsa snickered. “Oh my god, stop,” she said, nudging her playfully.

“What?” Anna said in mock indignation. “It’s better this way.”

“If you say so,” Elsa said.

The crowds around them had thinned to a trickle. By 4:30, they had been down to half their initial size – now, the park was close to empty. The two girls strolled down the main path of Angel Island, feeling as if they had the whole place to themselves.

“So…I guess this is dinner?” Elsa pointed out.

Anna shrugged. “Guess so,” she said, voice muffled by processed sugar.

Elsa smiled. “Good thing we’re young and invincible, eh?”

Anna nodded.

Elsa looked around. “So, where are we headed?”

“You’ll see,” Anna said.

She took a turn down a side path, and Elsa followed right behind her. Anna’s expression started to grow more solemn, but she still gave Elsa a reassuring smile.

“This has been a lot of fun, Elsa,” she said. “I’m very glad that you suggested it.”

“That’s good,” Elsa said. “I really enjoyed spending all this time with you. This whole past week…it’s been so good.”

Anna laughed. “It has. Definitely the best dates I’ve ever been on.”

Elsa also laughed, a little nervously. “Yeah,” she said. “And now that you know what good dates are like, your next relationship will be even better!”

“Yeah, that’s right,” Anna said. She smirked. “Of course, I don’t know how any other girls I meet could ever stack up to Elsa Schneider.”

“I’m flattered, miss Arendelle,” Elsa said, putting a hand to her chest. “You’re pretty fantastic yourself, you know.”

Anna tossed one of her plaits over her shoulder. “Yes, I am,” she said. “Thank you for noticing.”

They both laughed again. Anna threw her cone away and wrapped her arm around Elsa’s waist, and they kept walking.

Eventually they made their way to a sort of garden area, one they hadn't been to all day. A massive flower bed was arranged into the letters AI, and benches and trees were spotted all around the grassy area. Anna gently steered them towards a large beech tree off to the side.

“I've been steering us away from this spot all day,” Anna confessed. “I didn't want to face it, but…now, I think you should see it.” She motioned toward the tree.

Elsa nodded and walked over to the tree, though she now had a feeling she knew what she'd find.

It was about four feet up the tree. She had a feeling that it hadn't been Anna that did it. Her hearts always tapered at the bottom, while this one was just two half-circles and two lines.

HS+AA

4EVER

“Hans Suthernile,” Anna said quietly.

Elsa turned to look at her. Her hands were clasped in front of her, and she was looking down.

“He said he wanted to leave a memorial here, to our date. To us. So he pulled out his pocketknife – he called it a pocketknife, but it was really big – and just carved into the tree when nobody else was looking.” She shuffled her feet. “I was shocked, but I also thought it was really romantic.”

Elsa nodded understandingly. She wanted to chime in and say something helpful, but she sensed Anna wasn't done yet.

“T-trees,” she said, “grow at their tops.” She looked up at Elsa, who motioned for her to continue. “That’s what I told Hans when he did this. That means that this mark won't ever move up or down, or stretch, or fade. It’ll just be here, in the same place. Forever.” She hung her head again, and sniffled.

Elsa took her hand. “It must've been very romantic, at the time,” she said sadly. Anna nodded. “But, in fact, that's not correct.”

Anna looked at her, confused.

“Sure, it won't grow out naturally,” Elsa continued. “But this?” She tapped the tree. “It’s just bark. The surface level. All it takes is a little effort to remove it.”

She pulled out her own pocketknife and walked over to the tree. She slid the blade under the point of the heart, then began to saw back and forth with it. She worked around the perimeter of the heart, delaminating it all around. Once she had made a full revolution, she sheathed the knife and began to pick at the bark. Piece by piece, the letters came off, leaving only the pale white tree underneath.

“Now this,” she said, gesturing at the white heart, “is different. It's not bark, so anything you write on it will be a lot harder to get rid of. But it's a blank slate.” She handed the knife to Anna, who hesitantly took it. “You can write whatever you want on it.”

Anna stared at the tree, unsure of what to do. Then an idea struck her. She stuck the knife into the wood, and began to carve. Elsa watched silently, waiting until she completed it all. Anna stepped back and handed back the knife, and Elsa looked at the new engraving.

EA+AA

4EVER

+1D

“Forever and a day!” declared Elsa. “Oh, that’s perfect, Anna.”

Anna smiled. “Thanks,” she said.

Elsa frowned. “But, uh, EA?”

“Yeah, it stands for Elsa Aren-” Then she realized what Elsa was getting at. “Ah, cr-shit, you’re right, it should’ve been ES.”

Elsa chuckled. “It’s fine. I’m sure Elsa Arendelle would love to spend forever and a day together with you, too.”

Anna laughed. “Well, that’s good to know.”

Elsa rewound the conversation in her head. “Did you just un-censor yourself?” she asked, amused.

Anna giggled. “I guess,” she said.

“That’s adorable,” Elsa said, mussing her hair. Anna blushed, only looking cuter for it.

That one part of her mind nagged her again, but she ignored it. The sight of her sister not just happy, but beaming, warmed her heart. She doubted Anna was truly over Hans yet, but she knew that she’d made a lot of progress today. Soon enough, she’d have to process the emotions that had stirred in her today, but that could wait.

_Anna’s happy again. That’s worth any amount of confusion on my part._


	10. Against a wall

The teacher was droning on about something, as she was wont to do.

From the context clues Anna picked up in the brief moments where she snapped herself back to attention, she appeared to be talking about the cosine and tangent, with chalkboard drawings to match. However, as soon as Anna verified that she already knew everything the teacher was talking about, her mind went back to Angel Island.

She couldn't remember the last time she'd had that much fun at the park. Even her trip with Hans hadn't been as enjoyable, even in the moment. She'd never felt as much adrenaline on those rides as when she was hand in hand with Elsa. Even the teacups were more of a hilarious memory than a painful one. It’d been nonstop fun, start to finish…

* * *

Elsa walked her to her car, cradling her in her arm. “That was a good time, huh?” she said gently.

“You bet! Anna said. “We have to do this again sometime soon.”

“Yeah,” Elsa said. “Once I've had time to recover from this trip.”

Anna sucked her teeth. “Ooh, yeah,” she said, regarding Elsa's burnt skin. “Does that hurt?”

Elsa smiled. “Not much,” she said. “I meant recover mentally. It's been…quite a rush.”

Anna thought about the Ferris wheel. “You can say that again,” she said dreamily.

An awkward silence followed. It occurred to Anna that she might have been talking about Thunderstruck instead.

“So, uh, when can I expect to see you again?” she said.

Elsa frowned thoughtfully. “Hmm, well, I'm busy all week with study groups. I'm sure you've got plenty of studying to do, too.”

“I guess,” Anna said, though in truth, she felt very confident about most of her exams already.

“But, this Friday,” Elsa continued, “I could stop by the house, grab the car, and pick you up after school.”

“Sure!” Anna said. “What do you want to do?”

“Well, it's supposed to be crazy hot that day,” Elsa said. “So how about we go grab some ice cream?”

“I’d love that!” Anna declared, a small hop punctuating the sentence.

Elsa giggled, then attempted to hide it. “A-And hey,” she said. “Now that you know the ropes of dating, maybe you could ask someone out yourself.”

“Oh yeah, I could,” Anna said. “I hadn't even thought of that.”

Elsa smirked. “Well, that was kinda half of the reason we started doing this in the first place.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Anna said good-naturedly. “I was just focused on the other half, that's all.”

Elsa nodded. “Me too,” she admitted. “But now’s your chance to share the genius lessons I've taught you with some lucky guy or girl.”

Anna laughed. “Girl,” she said. “Definitely girl.”

Elsa clasped a hand on her shoulder. “Hey, good to hear it! You did your homework, then?”

Anna nodded. “Right after I got back from the movie.” She blushed. “And a few more times on Saturday.”

Elsa laughed. “Nothing wrong with that,” she said. “So yeah, now that you know what you like, you can go out and get some for yourself!”

Anna smiled. “I’ll do my best,” she said modestly.

“You'll do great,” Elsa assured her. “There isn't a girl on the planet who wouldn't be lucky to have you.”

Anna beamed from the excessive praise. “Well, I’m no Elsa Schneider, that's for sure,” she countered. “But you're right, I am pretty amazing.”

“Damn straight,” Elsa said. She gave Anna a departing hug, which Anna returned gingerly, accounting for Elsa's burnt skin, and they went their separate ways.

It was a happy, carefree Anna that hopped into her car. She was physically exhausted, but her spirits had never been higher.

 _I'll look for someone to date,_ she thought. _But I don't know if I'll be able to stop thinking about you long enough to try it._

* * *

Anna frowned. Now that she thought about it, that was kind of a weird thought to have, wasn’t it? I might not be able to find a date because I’ll be thinking about my sister? She started thinking critically about these thoughts, as her pencil drifted idly across her notepad.

True, she was thinking about Elsa a lot, but that was hardly unusual. She thought about Elsa all the time. It was hard not to – she was funny, cool, athletic, beautiful, and so much more. But it was never romantic, right?

It was the lack of experience that was the problem, really. Like Elsa said, she'd never had a good boyfriend or girlfriend before, so she didn't know what that felt like. But you could turn that around just as easily – she didn't have any other siblings, either.

_Damn it, this was exactly what Punz warned me about – emotions clouding my judgement. Elsa helped me out by being a fake girlfriend. Now that's done, and I just need a real girlfriend. Plain and simple._

She lifted her pencil, and took a look at what she had been drawing.

EA + AA

4EVE-

_Argh!_

She turned over to the next page and forced herself to drop the pencil.

_Okay, so it's clearly not that simple. But that's on me. I'm the confused one – Elsa made her intentions clear from the start. But I can fix that. As soon as I find a real girlfriend, this will all be fixed. For now, though…_

She turned back to the previous page, erased one of the letters, and wrote a new one in its place.

ES+AA

_That's a start._

* * *

The bell rang, and she and the rest of the class filed out the door. Anna headed for her locker, purpose established, until a familiar voice called out to her above the clamor of the crowd.

“Yo, Anna!” Eugene called, waving an arm. Anna worked her way over to him, and they walked together.

“Hey, Eugene!” Anna responded jovially. “What’s up?”

“Not much with me,” he said. “How’d your smoking hot date go?”

Anna burst out laughing. “It went great, thanks for asking.”

“Yeah?” Eugene said. “This 'Elsa' chick seems like she's on the up and up?”

“Oh yeah,” Anna said, nodding with mock sincerity. “In fact, I think I might even introduce her to my family soon.”

Eugene chuckled. “Well, that's good to hear,” he said. “So, you think you're playing for the other team, for sure?”

It took a couple seconds for Anna to figure out what he meant. “Oh, yeah. Definitely looking for girls.”

“All right. Can't say I blame you,” he said. “I mean, some guys are nice and all, but I know _I_ wouldn't fuck one.”

Anna laughed again. It was always so liberating to talk to Eugene. It was as if the man had no stress or fears whatsoever.

The crowd was thinning now, and the two of them came to a fork in the hallway. “Well, I’d better get going,” Eugene said. “Shang’s gonna have my ass if I'm late for gym again.”

“Oh no, not your ass!” Anna said, putting her hands to her face in mock horror.

Eugene laughed. “See you at lunch, Anna.”

“See you!”

Anna went on her way, picking up the pace when she noticed the crowds around her thinning out. She hadn't thought she was being especially slow, but by the time she reached her locker, the halls were all but deserted. She deposited her books and grabbed the next set.

“There you are.”

Anna froze. His voice rolled over her like a cascade of poisoned honey. “Go away, Hans,” she said.

She turned around, books in hand, to see him standing there, arms stretched to either side of him. “What, already?” he said in insincere indignation. “After I go through all this trouble to track you down, you want to leave before hearing what I have to say?”

Trepidation once again rose within Anna, but this time it was drowned out by a rising anger. “The only thing I want to hear from you,” she said, “is 'I'm sorry, and goodbye.’”

Hans sighed condescendingly. “Still on this, I see,” he said. “I still don't see why I should apologize. You're the one who’s being hysterical.”

“Hys-” Anna said, before catching herself. Now her anger was growing stronger.

 _Standard Hans tactic. I'm angry, and he's calm_.

She forced herself to bite down her angry retort.

_Damn it, he always does this. I know exactly what I want to say to him, but I never get the chance, because he always keeps me on the defensive!_

Case in point, Hans stepped forward, holding out a conciliatory hand. Anna stepped back.

“So anyway,” he continued, as if he hadn’t just insulted her, “I heard that _The Moon Has Two Faces_ is gonna be in theaters next week.”

Anna's blood ran cold. _Oh god, he can't be serious._

He took another step forward and reached for her shoulder. She tried to twist away, but he grabbed it anyway. “I know you’re gonna go see it,” he said in a lower, more sultry voice. “But you shouldn't have to see it alone.”

His grip wasn’t tight, but it still felt like ice was running up her arm. She went stiff, and her brain started shifting into fight-or-flight mode.

 _The principal’s office,_ a part of her mind said. _Get to the principal's office._ But the office was far away, and Hans was right here. Her back was against the wall.

She wished she were anywhere but here. She wanted to be with Elsa, or Punz, or Eugene, or-

_Elsa._

An idea struck her, and it jolted her into action. She brushed away his arm, and quickly stepped to the side, away from Hans and the wall.

“ _Thanks_ for the offer,” Anna said, emphasizing the first word so hard as to make the sarcasm crystal clear. “But I've already asked someone to go see it with me.”

Hans arched an eyebrow. “Oh, really?” he said. “Just a week after blondie, you’ve already got another date? That’s impressive. _Unreal_ , some might say.”

Anna shrugged. “Fine, don’t believe me, then.” She started to walk away calmly.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Hans said, darting in front of her. “That’s it? You’re not gonna put any more effort into it? Tell me this guy’s name, what he’s like, how he could totally kick my ass – any of that?”

“Oh, that last one’s probably true,” Anna said. “ _She_ used to take kickboxing lessons.”

Hans was taken aback for a moment, but he recovered quickly. “Oh, that’s how it is, huh?” he sneered. “You’re a dyke now?”

The slur registered in Anna’s brain, a verbal barb meant to case as much pain as possible. Had he used the word against Elsa, it would’ve infuriated her. But, having just discovered she was a lesbian a few days ago, it didn’t hurt Anna nearly as much. She recognized it for what it was – a petty attempt to knock her off-kilter.

She shrugged again. “Guess so.”

The sneer was still on his face, but Anna could see in his eyes that he was getting upset that his insults weren’t landing.

“So, anyway,” Hans said, trying to regain the upper hand, “tell me about this girlfriend of yours. What’s so much better about her than me?”

A thousand possible answers flitted through Anna’s mind, but for some reason the Ferris wheel floated to the top of them.

“Well, for one thing,” she said, “she tastes better than you.”

“WHAT?” Hans said, jaw dropping.

Then, a moment later, he realized what she actually meant. “Oh, heh, you meant kissing,” he said, attempting to regain his composure. “Not much I can do there. Girls taste better than guys.”

 _Well, you could brush your teeth once in a while, for one thing,_ thought Anna. But instead of voicing this sentiment, she decided to capitalize on the moment.

“Right, kissing,” she said. “On the…lips.”

His face betrayed nothing, but she noticed his hands starting to clench and unclench, like they always did when he got angry. He noticed she was looking at them, and stopped.

“Okay, sure,” he said. “But that's not enough of a reason.”

_Since when do you get to decide what's enough of a –_

Again, she stopped herself. _He's angrier than me right now, let's keep it that way._

“Well, for another thing,” she said, “she doesn't feel the need to pick at my flaws and imperfections in order to make me feel insecure.”

“Oh, Anna, you've got it all wrong,” Hans said. “I like you even with your imperfections. Your freckles aren't enough to-”

“Well she _loves_ my freckles,” Anna interrupted. “All of them.” She smiled wickedly. “Even the ones you never got to see.”

“Ha ha ha,” Hans said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. “You almost had me for a moment, but now I know you're making this up. Ha ha ha.” Clench, unclench.

Anna didn't feel the need to respond, instead letting her lingering smile speak for itself.

Strictly speaking, he was absolutely correct. Elsa _was_ her fake girlfriend. But at the same time, she hadn't yet lied, just implied. Thus, she couldn't really get mad at his accusations.

“So, does this chick have a name?” Hans asked. “Or should I give you some time to make one up?”

Anna snorted. “I'm not stupid, Hans. I'm not telling you her name.” He opened his mouth for a snarky retort, but she kept going. “But I'll give you a hint. If you want to know her initials, you can find them four feet up a tree in Angel Island, inside a poorly drawn heart. I'm sure you know the one.”

Hans was apoplectic. His mouth opened and closed, in sync with his hands. Then he bared his teeth.

“That was _ours_ ,” he snarled, in a voice that made Anna take a step back. But she gathered her courage and responded.

“Yes, it _was_ ours,” she said defiantly. “Just like you _were_ my boyfriend. But I dumped you. So get over it.”

Hans stared at her, fuming. Anna had never seen him this mad. She turned her feet, preparing to run, but she didn't break eye contact.

Finally, Hans relented. “Fine,” he said. “You want to act like a child? I'll be the grown-up and walk away. But this isn't over.”

He pulled out his headphones from his pocket, presumably with the intention of putting them on and casually walking away. Unfortunately for him, they snagged on something else in his pocket, and he was stuck fumbling around with them. Eventually he gave up and just stormed off.

Anna let out a huge sigh of relief. She had been seconds away from bolting, but she'd held her ground. She also let out all the tremors she had been suppressing, shivering heavily. She turned around and headed for the principal’s office, barely believing what had just happened.

She'd won. She'd _won_. She had told Hans how she felt, in no uncertain terms, and he backed off – for now, at least. She had been so afraid of this confrontation, but somehow she'd managed to pull it off. Thanks to Elsa’s help, she had managed to-

_Huh, Elsa. I really said Elsa was my girlfriend._

It was justified, of course. Her back was literally against the wall, and she couldn't think of anything else. And she had no fear of Hans figuring out the truth – she never told him about her sister, and even if she had, he wouldn't have been paying enough attention to her to remember. Still, she really hadn't been planning on telling anyone about it.

Whatever, it wasn't a big deal. Starting at lunch today, she'd be looking for a real girlfriend. And nobody could possibly be worse than who she was leaving behind.

And so Anna walked away with her head held high, and didn’t look back.

Which is why she didn't see the glower Hans shot at her from the end of the hall.


	11. My type

**Chapter eleven**

**My type**

“Hmm, how about her?” Rapunzel said, pointing across the cafeteria.

Anna looked at the girl she was pointing at. She was a redhead, decently tall, with laughing blue eyes.

She thought about it. “Maybe,” she said.

Rapunzel raised an eyebrow. “We’re looking for a definitive yes or no answer here, hon.”

“Then, I guess, no,” Anna said. “I don't really want to go for any redheads.”

“Really?” Eugene said curiously. “Is that a self-esteem thing?”

Anna sighed. “I told you, Eugene,” she said, “My hair isn't red, it's called strawberry blonde.”

“I still think you're making that up,” Eugene said, folding his arms. “Looks pretty red to me.”

“Focus, people,” Punz interrupted. She gestured towards the lunch line. “How about third from the back over there?”

Anna glanced over and saw a familiar shock of blonde hair. “Aurora? She's straight, I thought.”

“That is not the purpose of this experiment,” Punz reminded her.

“Right,” Anna said. She looked at Aurora in what she hoped was a non-creepy way, and scratched her chin thoughtfully. “You know what? Yeah, I think she's pretty hot.”

“All right,” Punz said happily. “Girl likes blondes.”

“Guess so,” Anna said, continuing to look at Aurora. Her hair was a little frazzled, but Anna didn't mind. It kind of looked like Elsa's did early in the morning.

Meanwhile, Punz was scanning the crowd. “Let’s see, blondes blondes blondes…” She gestured at a point over Anna's shoulder. “How about that tall gal over there?” she said.

Anna looked and saw a tall, frizzy-haired girl eating a few tables down. “Ooh, yeah,” Anna said. “Definitely.”

“All right, that's a yes to tall girls.” Punz turned to Eugene. “How about you?” she asked. “She look cute to you?”

Eugene folded his arms. “Not falling for that one, babe,” he said.

Punz smiled. “Smart boy.”

 _Yeah, tall is nice_ , Anna thought. _When you're cuddling together, they can pat you on the head and snuggle you right into the crook of their neck. Just like Elsa does._

Anna frowned. _Okay, it's kinda weird that you keep bringing up Elsa when you’re trying to look for a girlfriend, isn't it?_

She tried to ignore this thought again, but it was getting harder to ignore the point. The more times she had to remind herself that she wasn’t supposed to be thinking about Elsa in a romantic way, the weirder it became. Confusion was one thing, but this was starting to feel like…the opposite of confusion.

Rapunzel, thankfully, interrupted her train of thought by holding out her phone in front of her. “All right, now that we’ve narrowed down your type, let’s get down to the nitty gritty.”

The search bar read “tall blonde women”, and the screen was filled with just that.

“Is this really necessary right now, Punz?” Anna asked, smiling weakly.

“Sorry,” she said, withdrawing her arm. “I’m just so excited for you. You’re finally getting the chance to have a real, healthy relationship!”

Anna smiled. “Thanks, Punz.”

“And the way you told off Hans this morning!” she exclaimed. “I’m so proud!”

Anna scratched the back of her head. “Yeah, it felt good.”

“I gotta admit,” she said, “I was totally wrong about Elsa’s idea. Turns out, it worked great for you! I never should’ve doubted you for a second.”

“Oh, you don’t need to apologize for that,” Anna said, meaning every word of it.

With that, the three of them went back to eating. Anna, however, found herself continuing to think about what constituted her “type”.

_Let's see, what traits would I like in an ideal girlfriend?_

_Well, a good listener is a must. Someone who always cares about what I have to say. Cuddling is nice, but not mandatory. And physically fit – hell yeah, fit girls are hot. Someone who's adventurous, not afraid to go outside their own comfort zone. And going back to physical traits, maybe it's being too picky to be thinking about eye color, but I like blue eyes – icy blue, the kind you can lose yourself in._

_Just like you-know-who._

Anna sighed. She ran through each of her descriptors, one by one. They all fit Elsa perfectly.

_Okay, that’s not that big of a deal. There’s tons of tall, fit girls with blonde hair and blue eyes. Like that first girl from your…homework. She fit all those descriptions, and she didn’t remind you of-_

_Hang on._

She excused herself from the table, then headed for the women’s room. Once she was in a stall, door locked, she pulled out her phone. She remembered the name of the video easily - she'd gone back to it a couple of times on Saturday – and in just a few seconds it was playing again. She paused and looked at the girl’s face.

_Okay, yep._

The woman was older by a couple of years, and her hair was just plain blonde, not platinum blonde. Other than that, she looked distressingly similar to Elsa. Even now, now that she was deliberately paying attention to all the similarities, it was still arousing her. The fact that she’d just been shopping around, looking at girls that bore strong resemblances to her sister didn't help one bit.

_How the hell did I not notice that before?_

_Well, not consciously, anyway…_

She put a hand to her head. She didn't have to have taken a year of psychology class to realize the implications, but the fact that she had served only to imply more.

_Ugh, what do I do now?_

It was a question with double meanings. In the long run, she had no idea what to do going forward from here. In the short term…she was alone in a bathroom, unhelpfully aroused, with a sexy video already playing.

With a resigned sigh, she unpaused the video and prayed that nobody else would enter the bathroom.

xxxxxxx

_Sure, Elsa, you don't have to put on more aloe this morning. I'm sure you'll be fine. Fucking idiot._

Delicately, Elsa slid two fingers across her ruby-red arm, feeling deep relief as the aloe vera worked its magic. Just enough of the midday sun was peeking through the curtains that she could see what she was doing in the darkened room. She shrugged off her bra strap for a moment to get her shoulder, then put it back into place and began the other arm.

She really hadn't thought she was _that_ susceptible to burning. Sure, she'd always been pale, but she never got sunburned when she was walking around campus all day. As she coated her left shoulder and moved to her collar, she noted, with amusement, the single pale strip of flesh on her shoulder against the ocean of red.

_Still too pale, that's the problem. Even back in the day, when Anna was playing in the backyard and earning those freckles, I was always in the house, playing computer games. I should've been out there with Anna. Should've done a lot with Anna. Should've been together more…_

Elsa caught herself. Her hand, which had coated the red patch on her collarbone, had started moving down to a place where she knew for a fact there was no sunburn. She yanked her arm away.

_What do you think you’re doing there? Groping yourself while thinking about Anna? Or can I just say it was Elsa Schneider that just groped me, and that’ll absolve me of any guilt?_

She grabbed more aloe and moved on to her legs – _lower_ legs, thank you very much – and tried to banish those thoughts from her mind. Of course, it didn’t fucking work. Now that the idea was in her head, she couldn’t stop thinking about Anna.

Dammit, this week was supposed to be a reset button. Some time apart, to clear her head and remind herself of a few seemingly common-sense things. And a chance to find another girl she liked, who wasn’t a blood relative of hers. That’s what Anna was probably doing right this instant, in fact.

_I should call Esme up, we haven’t seen each other in a while. In fact, I probably should’ve done that weeks ago._

As she swapped to her other leg, a thought occurred to her.

_Why Anna, why now? All the girls I’ve dated so far have been brunettes. But even when I went to the gym this morning, I was checking out the redheads. So what the fuck’s going on? Did I bump my head and flip the incest switch in my brain or something?_

Legs done, she now moved up to her waist, attending to the burned strip around her waistline. She tried to calm herself, think of other explanations.

 _Maybe I’ve got this whole thing backwards. Maybe I just like redheads now, and that just so happens to include my sis. I’ve never_ not _liked redheads. They are pretty cute, with their freckles, their sea-green eyes, cute little nose…_

And now her fingers were heading south once again.

Elsa gasped as her fingers entered her. The aloe was cold. But soft…so soft…

She withdrew her hand, and tried to convince herself to stop screwing around and get dressed. But she hadn't done this in a while, either. And she was curious as to how it would go with the aloe.

She sighed and applied more lotion to her right hand. Her left hand reached for her phone, but she decided against it. Her mental images were enough.

 _Okay, let's go again. Redheads that aren't my sister_.

She leaned back and laid down on the bed. One hand pushed her bra aside, whole the other reentered herself. Her well-lubricated fingers moved quickly to her most sensitive zone, and thrust back and forth.

She thought about Scarlett Johansson, her red hair cascading down bare shoulders atop a glistening, wet body. She saw her standing in the room, striding to the bed, straddling Elsa’s body. Elsa arched her back, and her fingers sped up. She flexed her toes, relishing the cracking noise they made.

She blinked, and the figure changed. Her curvaceous body was now slimmer, her fiery hair faded, and it now hung in dual plaits-

 _Not her!_ Elsa’s mind said. But her body disagreed.

Her pleasure started to climb, and she could do nothing but continue. She slipped in a third finger, and the pleasure mounted even faster. Meanwhile, her vision of her sister leaned forward, crawling towards her.

_Hey, sis. I did my homework. Wanna see what I learned?_

Her climax was short and sweet. An intense burst of ecstasy, and just as sudden of a decline. Elsa sat up and looked around the room. Still empty, still dark. The only signs of what had just happened were three fingers that were slightly wetter than they had already been, and the fast encroaching sense of shame that always followed, albeit with much more obvious of a cause.

Elsa sighed. “Okay,” she said. “This is a problem.”


End file.
